


Take from Us This Tragedy

by wanderingjedihistorian (RangerJedi67)



Series: Codywanweek 2020 [2]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Background Anakin Skywalker/Padmé Amidala - Freeform, Feelings Realization, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Death is Sidious not anyone we like!, Obi-Wan Realizes What Palps Was Doing and He Will Not Have It Sir, The Force Yells and Obi-Wan Listens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25575499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RangerJedi67/pseuds/wanderingjedihistorian
Summary: Cody's chip malfunctions and he attacks Obi-Wan. This leads to many discoveries- some personal, some with galaxy changing implications. Stopping the Sith will be a difficult task, but failure is unimaginable. The costs are too great.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: Codywanweek 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1851517
Comments: 258
Kudos: 849
Collections: Codywan Week





	1. A Malfunction That Changes Everything

**Author's Note:**

> Codywan Week Day 2: Fix It
> 
> I really wanted to have the whole fic done in time, but alas that did not happen. I have the fic plotted so the rest will be written, I promise.  
> Here's part 1!

“Sir, I don’t understand what happened, but Cody would _never_ …” Rex insisted. 

Obi-Wan held up a hand and Rex tried to quell the terror rising within himself. He could not lose Cody like this. He was struggling to wrap his head around the situation. It made no sense whatsoever. This _couldn’t be_ _happening._

“Peace, Rex. It’s alright. I know that whatever has happened, it was not Cody’s fault. His very Force presence changed right before his attack. He wasn’t himself. Something was done to him. I will determine what it was. And who was responsible,” Obi-Wan said firmly.

“What do you mean, Master? What changed?” Anakin asked, confused.

He didn’t think it was possible for someone’s Force presence to change. At least, not so suddenly. It was too much a reflection of who they were as a person.

“Cody is a very bright, but calm and steady presence. He is at my side so often I could pick him out of a crowd of a thousand troopers in blank armor in seconds. I _know_ how he feels in the Force, Anakin, as surely as I know your own Force signature. To be honest, I know _his_ Force signature better than I know Ahsoka’s. Right before he attacked me, he…blanked out, for lack of a better description. It was as if everything that makes him _Cody_ ceased to be. If he hadn’t been right in front of me, I wouldn’t have known it was him. I have never seen or even heard of such a thing happening before,” The Jedi Master explained.

The Knight frowned heavily.

“That is strange. I’ve never heard of anything like that either. But the thought of it being an attack of some sort is possibly even more worrying. If they can target someone like Cody, they could be a serious threat! What if he had succeeded? Killing you would cripple the war effort!” Anakin said, worry evident in his tone.

Rex didn’t even want to think about the implications if Cody had succeeded, even in just hurting General Kenobi. There was no way to keep this quiet, it had happened on the bridge unfortunately, but if they could prove there was an outside cause there was still hope for Cody’s life. If he had hurt, or worse _killed,_ his General…Rex wasn’t sure there would have been anything they could have done to save Cody. And there was the quiet voice in the back of his mind whispering that if Cody had killed General Kenobi, then Cody himself would not wish to continue living. The Captain had to swallow back the bile and the rising wave of nausea that was threatening to overwhelm him. This was a horrific mess and he couldn’t see a way out of it.

CWCWCWCWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan sat on the bed in his quarters, head in his hands. He didn’t understand what had happened, but he was utterly certain of one thing. This wasn’t Cody’s fault. Cody didn’t _choose_ to do what he had done. He was telling the truth when he said his Commander’s very presence changed in the moment before he attacked. Never before had Cody felt so… _cold_ in the Force. Cody was always a comforting, steady presence at his side. Since they grew closer, the clone Commander had even become a _warm and affectionate_ presence in the Force.

No. His...well if he was honest with himself, his _beloved_ Commander was not guilty of betrayal here. There was something greater at work and Obi-Wan would find it. This Force damned war had taken enough of his friends and family. It wasn’t taking Cody. Especially not like this. The Force was practically screaming at him. It hadn’t been so loud about a specific issue in _years._ He needed to meditate. Perhaps he would find answers that way. Perhaps then he would know how to proceed.

CWCWCWCWCWCWCWCW

Cody woke up in MedBay, disoriented and confused. Rex was sitting in an uncomfortable looking chair at his side. He looked around and realized he was in one of the isolation rooms. That didn’t make much sense. If he was sick, Rex wouldn’t be with him and Bones would likely be nearby. But why else would he be there?

“Do you remember what happened?” Rex asked gently.

“Last thing I remember, the General and I were waiting for you and your General to join us for a briefing,” Cody said.

Rex hated that he was the one to tell Cody this, but until they knew what had happened, none of them were willing to risk either of the Generals around Cody. Kix and Bones, the 212th medic, had both offered to be the ones to do it, but Rex requested he be allowed to break the news. This was going to hurt Cody horribly and he wouldn’t be willing to show any weakness or pain around Kix or Bones. But he would likely be honest with Rex.

“You attacked your General, Cody,” Rex said quietly.

The Marshal Commander’s entire body went rigid.

“I _WHAT_? NO! I wouldn’t! That’s impossible!” Cody denied vehemently.

“You did, Codes. Everyone on the bridge saw it happen. My General and I witnessed your General knocking you out,” The Captain told him.

“Rex, I would die before I would hurt him!” Cody protested.

Rex put a calming hand on his brother’s arm.

“Usdesii. Udesii. I know. And more importantly, _your General knows_. He said right before it happened you changed in the Force. Both generals are extremely concerned about what that could mean. General Kenobi is very worried about you,” Rex explained.

Cody closed his eyes. He swallowed hard against the rising nausea. There was only one question to ask at that point.

“When do I go back to Kamino?”

There was no other possible next step. Procedure was clear. The only question was going to be what they did with him once he got there.

“They don’t intend to send you back. Our Generals are investigating this themselves. Yours…was very firm on that. He isn’t letting you go.”

Cody was astonished. He and his General were close, yes, but he hadn’t thought they were close enough that the man would insist on breaking protocol for him. Especially like this, when the protocol in question was one designed to protect the Generals and natborn officers from defective clones. He could only hope this didn’t hurt his Jedi in any way.

CWCWCWCWCWCWCWCW

“It’s too dangerous, Obi-Wan! Until we know what caused this, you getting anywhere near Cody is a huge risk!” Anakin insisted.

“It’s a risk I am taking. We are not discussing this any further, Anakin. I cannot investigate this if I cannot speak with him,” Obi-Wan retorted.

“Then…maybe we need to follow protocol and send him back to Kamino.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why? I know you like Cody, but why ignore all the rules for him?” The Knight demanded.

“Would you send Rex?” The Master shot back.

Anakin froze. There was only one answer to that.

“No. I’d insist on looking into it myself. It’s _Rex._ I’d know something was wrong was with him!” He replied quickly. “Oh.”

“Exactly, Anakin. I know Cody. He did not attack me by choice. He is always there when I need him. He is always there to support me. I can trust that he will be there to have my back no matter what we face. I owe him the same. I cannot in good conscience hand this over to someone who doesn’t know him. There is too great a chance that all of my observations would be dismissed. So, we will investigate it ourselves. But this is something I must do.”

“I want to be there. And Rex. And for _my_ piece of mind, I want Kix there too. It’s not that I don’t trust the 212th medics, Obi-Wan. I just, need Kix there too. For me.”

The Jedi Master put a gentle hand on his former Padawan’s shoulder. The tension in the younger man didn’t surprise him.

“I know I’m taking a risk, Anakin. But yes, you, Rex and Kix can be there. I think it will make Cody feel better as well. But I know this is the right path.”

“How can you be so sure?” The younger Jedi asked.

He needed to understand. Obi-Wan was usually reckless with his own well-being but this was something else. Anakin couldn’t put his finger on it.

“I meditated on it. When I thought about sending him to Kamino…Anakin, it was as if the Force was screaming NO at me. When I thought about keeping him here, about us investigating, the Force went quiet. Soft. _Soothing._ It is as clear a warning as one can get from the Force. I follow the Will of the Force,” The Jedi Master said simply.

Anakin was stunned. But he also could not help the smirk that made its way across his face.

“Following the Will of the Force, huh? That’s how you’re going to sell this to the rest of the Council?”

“The Council will be made aware…once the investigation is less time critical.” 

The Jedi Knight’s eyes practically bugged out of his head. He could not believe what he was a hearing. This was so unlike his former Master.

“You aren’t going to tell them?”

“Oh, I will tell them. Later. Come, we have work to do!” 

CWCWCWCWCWCWCWCW

Kix and Bones entered the room first. Kix gestured Rex over and filled him in on the plan while Bones checked Cody over.

“Is this wise? Earlier the Generals were insisting it was dangerous for them to come near him until they knew what had happened.”

The 501st medic shrugged.

“Some Force thing, I guess. General Kenobi meditated for a while and came out of it determined that he needed to speak to Commander Cody himself. General Skywalker isn’t convinced, which is why he’s going to be here. They want you, me and Bones here too. The Generals figure Cody will feel better about this if he feels there is someone present who could stop him before he reached them if anything happened,” Kix explained.

The Torrent Captain took a deep breath to settle his nerves.

“This is a risky plan, but at least they are trying to minimize potential fallout. And the Generals are right, Cody will feel better if we are here too. He knows I’d put myself between him and them and that you or Bones would sedate him rapidly if there was a problem. I don’t like this but if General Kenobi is sure this needs to happen, we will support him.”

Rex moved back to Cody’s side. He looked up at Bones, who interpreted his raised eyebrow as the question it was. The 212th’s medic shook his head to indicate a negative. The Captain bit back a sigh. He got to deliver all sorts of fun news today. He gently placed his hand on his brother’s arm.

“The Generals are coming to talk to you.” The Commander tensed and went to speak, but Rex hushed him softly. “I’m going to be right here. Kix and Bones will both be here, sedatives in hand, just in case. You won’t hurt him, Cody. We won’t let you. It’s going to be ok.”

Cody took a deep, shuddering breath.

“Promise me, Rex. _Promise me one of you will stop me if it happens again._ ”

The Captain grasped the Commander’s arm and looked him in the eye.

“I promise. I swear to you, Cody. We will stop you. _I_ will stop you.”

CWCWCWCWCWCW

“How are you feeling, Cody?” Obi-Wan asked gently.

The clone in question gave an honest appraisal.

“This doesn’t really feel real, General,” Cody admitted as he finished.

“We will get this all sorted out, Commander, don’t you fret. Do you remember what happened?” The Jedi Master asked.

The clone Commander shook his head.

“No. I’ve tried to remember since Rex told me what happened, but there’s just nothing, sir. Last thing I remember, you and I were talking, waiting for Rex and General Skywalker to join us so we could go over plans for the next campaign. Next thing I knew, I was waking up here and Rex was asking me what I remembered.”

Suddenly Cody’s entire demeanor changed, and he shifted. Obi-Wan realized what was happening and immediately took a step back, which alerted Rex and the medics. Cody tried to lunge at Obi-Wan as he started repeating the same thing over and over. Rex was already there and stopped him from reaching the Jedi.

“Bones!” Obi-Wan called.

Bones advanced towards his commanding officers.

“Good soldiers follow orders, good soldiers follow orders,” Cody kept saying.

Cody was distracted enough by Rex, Bones and Obi-Wan that he didn’t notice that Kix had come up behind him until the 501st’s medic had already injected him with the sedative. The fast-acting sedative had the Commander unconscious within a matter of seconds. Obi-Wan gently settled his Commander back against the pile on the medical bed.

Anakin was focused on Cody himself rather than the conversation. Perhaps that was why he caught it. He prepared to intervene just as Obi-Wan called for one of the medics to sedate the Commander. Rex had been standing beside Obi-Wan and as soon as Cody moved Rex put himself between the Jedi and the other clone. Anakin was proud of his Captain for his quick response.

“Master, did you feel that?” Anakin asked as soon as they had Cody sedated.

“His presence did the same thing as last time, yes,” Obi-Wan replied.

The Knight shook his head.

“No, right before that. Did you feel the sharp, sudden flare of the Dark Side?”

The Master’s eyes widened.

“No, I didn’t. What else did you sense?’

“I’m not sure. You were handling the questions, so I was just observing him. All of a sudden there was a swell of darkness that covered him and then his presence was just gone. But it happened so quickly, I didn’t really have time to react to try to learn more from it. I’m sorry, Master.”

“It’s alright, Anakin. We have a part of the puzzle we didn’t have before,” Obi-Wan said before turning to the medics. “Kix, Bones, I want every medical test done that the two of you are capable of performing. We need answers.”


	2. Some Revelations, But Even More Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They find the source of Cody's actions, but it leaves them with more questions and many horrible possibilities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was not particularly cooperative, so it took longer than I had hoped it would. 
> 
> Many thanks to Evilkillerpoptars and Shira for betaing this chapter!

CWCWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan stared down at his unconscious Commander. Kix and Bones had run every medical test the two of them knew. Some of them, the medics ran _twice_ just to be sure. They found nothing to explain what was happening. That left only one tool to be tried. 

“I shall use the Force to search for any abnormalities that medical scans might miss,” The Jedi Master declared.

If this was any clone in the 212th other than Commander Cody (and he hadn’t felt the flare of darkness earlier), this was the point where Anakin would have felt the need to suggest to his former Master that maybe there was nothing to find. He would have hated making the argument, but he would have seen the necessity. But there was no faking Cody’s devotion to Obi-Wan, not with how clear it always was in the Force. Anakin was honestly a little awed by the strength of it. So that left him only one thing to say.

“I’ll help, if you’d like.”

Obi-Wan’s gratitude was warm in the Force. Anakin hadn’t realized how shaken the other Jedi was and he felt guilty for the oversight. Of course, this would be a stressful and upsetting situation, no matter how good the older man was at hiding feelings. The younger man swore to do better until this situation was cleared up.

“Thank you, Anakin. To start, I’ll scan him with the Force. I’d like you to watch for any unusual responses, be they from him, me or the Force itself,” the Jedi Master instructed. "What we find, or don't find, will direct our next steps."

The Jedi Knight readily agreed.

Obi-Wan reached out with the Force and immediately realized he felt something _off_ about his Commander. However, he could not find the source. He pushed deeper. Still nothing. Deeper still, far more than he would normally dare and **_there_**. There it was. The source of the darkness was embedded in Cody's brain. The problem was, Obi-Wan had no idea what it was.

“I have found the source. Anakin, I need you to look as well. Between the two of us, we should be able to identify what it is.”

“Of course, Obi-Wan!” Anakin was quick to assure. After a few moments, the Jedi Knight was not liking what he was sensing. “It feels a lot like a slave chip. Only somehow, it’s even _darker,”_ He murmured in horror. 

Obi-Wan tensed. Unfortunately, that was a subject Anakin was intimately familiar with. He would trust the younger man’s assessment, regardless of how disquieting it might be.

“But sirs, we didn’t find a chip on any of the scanners,” Kix protested, though it was clearly halfhearted.

Professionally, Kix didn’t want to have missed something, but personally he was _desperate_ for an explanation. They all were. Commander Cody’s care for and devotion to his General were well known among the clones of the 212th and 501st. Karking hells, Marshal Commander Cody’s devotion to his General was known to practically every clone in the GAR. They _needed_ an explanation for what had occurred, something other than the Commander turning on his General. It would shake too many of them to the very core if he had chosen this action.

Once they knew where to look and calibrated the equipment based on what Anakin sensed, they were able to find it. There was _a_ _chip_ in Cody’s brain, and it was malfunctioning. This terrible revelation opened the door to many horrible possibilities, but they had to take this one step at a time, or it would overwhelm them.

“Can it be safely removed?” Obi-Wan asked, as he stood with his arms crossed, chin resting against one hand. 

The medics conferred with one another and looked at some of the equipment. They were fortunate to be on one of the top of the line Venator class ships. If they had been on one of the smaller ships, they would have had no chance.

“Yes, sir,” Bones assured his General. “The _Negotiator’s_ MedBay has sophisticated enough equipment, though we will need an astromech to help properly calibrate the surgical equipment. Kix and I would need to do little more than supervise.”

“R2 can help with that,” Anakin supplied, comm in hand, already summoning the droid.

There was little he himself could do to help at that point in time, but there was no other droid he would trust for this situation. Cody was too important to Obi-Wan for Anakin to allow any droid but R2-D2 near him for this. 

Obi-Wan agreed readily. This was serious. He could lose Cody if they didn’t act. There was little time to waste.

“Make your preparations and begin surgery as soon as you are ready. If the chip is malfunctioning, we have no idea what other harm it might cause.”

The medics saluted and hurried to do as ordered. Rex hovered worriedly near Cody’s bedside.

“You can stay with him, Rex. Obi-Wan and I have some things to take care of and discuss,” Anakin said a few moments later.

“Quite right. Rex, if we aren’t back by the time Bones and Kix are prepared, tell them to proceed. I want that chip out of Cody’s head as soon as possible,” Obi-Wan ordered.

Rex rarely saluted these days as neither of the Generals liked it from their seconds, but with his mind troubled it was easy to fall back onto his old habits. He snapped out a salute and a brisk, “Sirs!” purely on reflex.

A gentle hand on his shoulder said that the Generals both understood.

“He’ll be ok, Rex. Cody’s strong and he’s stubborn. He’s got to be, to keep up with Obi-Wan!” Anakin joked as he tried to ease the tension in the room. 

It fell flat but the attempt was appreciated, nonetheless.

CWCWCWCWCWCW

Anakin and Obi-Wan retreated to Obi-Wan’s quarters to talk. 

“Once they have removed Cody’s chip, we need to try to study it. A malfunctioning one is an immediate threat, but if it isn’t actively harmful otherwise, we may be better off waiting to let them be handled at one of the medical stations,” The Master said.

Anakin frowned. 

“Something about this is just... _off_. Was Cody ever taken prisoner long enough that an enemy could have done this?”

“No,” Obi-Wan admitted after a brief moment’s thought.

A thousand things raced through the younger Jedi’s mind at that. It seemed like every answer brought them closer and closer to something very _dark._

“Which leaves this having been in his head since Kamino, Master. Which means the _Kaminoans_ already know about it and want it there. And they run the med stations!” Anakin reminded him.

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. The thought had occurred to him as well, but they knew so _little._ He didn’t want to make assumptions. Those could be incredibly dangerous when there were lives at stake.

“We’re getting ahead of ourselves. First, we need to know what we are dealing with. Then we plan. And once we know what we are dealing with, I can determine what I tell the Council. Technically we are supposed to be starting a new campaign in two days’ time,” He pointed out.

It felt like they did nothing but talk themselves in circles until they received the comm message from Kix that surgery was complete. They returned to the MedBay with little more in the way of a plan than they had when they left it.

CWCWCWCWCWCW

“This little thing caused all this trouble,” Anakin said as he stared at the item in his hand.

They had placed the chip in a secure medical sample container until it could be assessed.

“Will you be able to analyze it?” Obi-Wan asked the younger man.

“How many men do we want to pull in on this? We have several excellent slicers in the 501st if you don’t mind me looping them in,” Anakin told him.

“Sirs,” Rex interrupted. Both Generals turned to look at him and he continued, “Sooner or later this will get out to everyone in both the 212th and the 501st. It would be best if we control how.”

“You are correct, as usual, Captain. We can’t let this spiral into something that will cause panic,” Obi-Wan agreed.

“There’s something else, Generals,” Kix said, speaking up. “Now that we know what we are looking for, Bones and I scanned each other as well as Captain Rex. We all have one too.”

Anakin snarled out a vicious tirade of curses.

“You must calm yourself. The best thing we can do for the men is investigate this further, _not_ get angry,” Obi-Wan chided gently.

The Knight whirled toward the Master, anger clear on his face.

“ _Did._ _You._ _Know_?” Anakin bit out angrily.

Obi-Wan was startled by the accusation in the words. 

“What in blazes are you talking about?”

“The chips. _Did you know_?” Anakin demanded.

“Of course not! How could you possibly think I would have known?!” Obi-Wan responded.

“You’re too calm about this. You, who does everything by the rules, ignored them to keep Cody here. You didn’t want to talk about the Kaminoans possibly knowing about this. You’re on the Council, and that’s who would have authorized something like this!” Anakin accused. 

“I kept Cody here because I didn’t like the idea of turning the investigation over to anyone else and the Force agreed with me!” Obi-Wan answered.

“And yet you’re willing to hand it over to me,” The Knight pointed out.

“I trust you. Why is that something to be surprised about?” the Jedi Master asked, confused. That took the fight, though not the anger, right out of Anakin. “If the Council knew, it was knowledge gained before my appointment. I will be able to find that out easily enough. As for the Kaminoans, I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Wild speculation helps none of us. We needed to know what we were dealing with before we started looking at origins. I am angry too, Anakin. This isn’t right. But our men don’t need our anger. They need our _action._ ”

“If a malfunctioning chip could turn Cody against you… Obi-Wan, we have _no idea_ what else these chips could do to our men,” Anakin said, voice showing the anger he was trying desperately to reign in as well as his own desperate confusion.

The Jedi Master placed a gentle hand on his former Padawan’s shoulder. He understood the younger man’s feelings all too well. They needed answers and a solution but all they currently had were questions.

“I know. Which is why you are going to return to the _Resolute_ and scan more of your men- from a mix of ages and ranks. Your ARC troopers would be a good start. A few others,” Obi-Wan suggested.

“Jesse is a batch younger than Kix, but he’s older than Hardcase. Dogma is even younger than Fives and Echo,” Rex offered.

“Check all of them. As well as whoever is the youngest and oldest of your troopers. We need to know if this was all batches or if it was something from early on,” Obi-Wan ordered. “Once we know how widespread, we will begin to formulate our plan.”

Anakin nodded sharply. That made sense.

“Will do,” The Knight said before nodding for his men to join him and leaving the MedBay.

Obi-Wan turned to his medic, “I want to do the same with the 212th.”

“Yes, sir!”

CWCWCWCWCWCW

Every single trooper. There was a chip in every single trooper they had checked.

The Jedi had reconvened in Obi-Wan’s office on the _Negotiator_ to discuss their next steps. Anakin was sitting in one of the chairs fists clenched around a datapad.

“What do we do?” he asked.

He was struggling to break the encryption on the chip and that just made it worse. The level of encryption involved…the implications were terrible. 

“We start removing the chips. But we must do it carefully and quietly. Until we know their origin, we don’t know if there would be danger from it getting out that we know. We also can’t let it prevent us from starting our campaign or it will draw suspicion we aren’t ready for,” Obi-Wan said thoughtfully as he stroked his beard as he stood looking out the window.

“We can’t just leave them,” Anakin balked, head snapping up to stare at the older man.

Obi-Wan turned to face his former Padawan.

“I’m not saying we do. We simply must be careful. Until we know what is on that chip and who is responsible for it, we don’t know the extent of what we are dealing with. We just know it is dangerous. We must proceed delicately,” He cautioned.

“Or we just go break down some doors on Kamino and demand answers,” the Knight suggested, with a pointed gesture towards the lightsaber at his hip.

The Master sighed. Aggressive negotiations were _still_ the younger man’s favored course of action.

“That would not make them inclined to provide them. And if the Sith is behind this? We can’t risk showing our hand like that, Anakin,” Obi-Wan argued.

The younger Jedi curled his mechanical fist tight and tried to release his anger into the Force. It wasn’t working. But he had to admit that his former master had a point. If they mis-stepped on this, it could cost a lot of lives.

“If they really _are_ slave chips...if they serve similar functions…or worse…”

“Then you will have plenty of help in burning down Kamino,” Obi-Wan assured.

That probably shouldn’t have been a comforting thought, but it was.

CWCWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan returned to the MedBay to check on Cody. He was surprised to see the clone Commander was awake and sitting up in his bed.

“How are you feeling?” the Jedi asked.

Cody looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, “Honestly, General? My head hurts. I’m angry. I’m frustrated. I’m so karking sorry about what happened. I’m...feeling a lot of things, sir.”

Obi-Wan placed a careful hand on his Commander’s arm. He didn’t stop himself from running his thumb along the dark-haired man’s arm in what he hoped was a soothing motion.

“I’m grateful you are here to be those things,” He said quietly. “Even if I don’t blame you in the slightest for what happened.”

Cody squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.

“So am I. And I’m grateful I didn’t hurt you,” He said, his voice little more than whisper but so full of all of the emotions churning inside him.

“I think having a malfunctioning chip inside your head is sufficient defense,” Obi-Wan assured. “I know you, Cody. Even before I knew about the chip, I knew this wasn’t your fault.”

“Sir,” The clone Commander managed through the feelings threatening to overwhelm him.

Obi-Wan shifted a little closer and moved his hand from Cody’s arm to his hair, carefully avoiding the side where the surgery had taken place. He gently ran a hand through Cody’s hair and down to cup his cheek. Cody leaned into the touch.

“Obi-Wan. We’re alone. You can call me Obi-Wan when we’re alone, remember?” He corrected gently. “I was so worried, Cody. I don’t want to lose you.”

“It’ll take more than a chip to take me out, si…Obi-Wan,” Cody assured. “I don’t want to leave you.” 

Obi-Wan had to swallow hard against the emotions welling up inside him. He could _feel_ Cody’s love for and devotion to him in the Force. They were strong and so very beautiful. He wasn’t entirely sure he deserved them. He held back showing his own affection for this man so often. But no more.

CWCWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan left Cody with Bones when the medic reappeared and announced he wanted to do a few checks. The Jedi Master had a call to make anyway.

He would admit, if only in the privacy of his own mind, that he was incredibly impatient as he waited for the holocall to connect. He and Anakin had agreed that they would contact a couple of other Jedi who were in nearby sectors. They didn’t dare comm all the way to Coruscant until they had more information as such long-range communications had ample opportunity to be intercepted. Anakin was to speak with Aayla Secura. Obi-Wan was waiting for Plo Koon.

“Obi-Wan, is everything alright?” The Kel Dor Master asked as soon as the call connected.

‘I must look worse than I thought.’ Obi-Wan mused.

“Unfortunately, no. We have had an incident onboard the _Negotiator._ My Commander has been injured and it revealed something startling,” The human Jedi explained.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Will Commander Cody recover?” Plo asked kindly.

Obi-Wan knew how much Plo cared about his troopers. It made this question both easier and harder to have to ask.

“He will, yes. But it brings me to something I must ask. Master Plo, was the rest of the Council aware of chips in the clones’ brains?”

Only someone who had known Plo for a longer time would have noticed how startled he was by the question. 

“Chips in their brains? No. The Council knows nothing of the sort! Obi-Wan, what has happened?” The Kel Dor asked insistently.

Obi-Wan recounted the events of the last eighteen hours. If they had been in the same room, he was certain he would have been able to _feel_ Plo’s dawning horror as he spoke.

“Obi-Wan, I swear by the Force itself, we knew nothing about such a thing.”

His response was cut off by the chirping of his wrist comm. There was a message from Anakin. The younger Jedi had spoken with Aayla nearly an hour before and since then, she had confirmed the presence of the chips in Commander Bly and several of her other troopers. She was going to begin the removal process, just as they were. While it was incredibly arrogant to think that the chips might have been targeted at Anakin and Obi-Wan specifically, they couldn’t afford to rule anything out either. No reason to panic the entire GAR if this was isolated to their battalion and legion. Aayla’s discovery ruled out that remote possibility.

“We have confirmation of the presence of chips in troopers from another battalion as well. You’ll want to investigate the 104th. I will send you the instructions for finding and removing them.”

“I will begin immediately,” Plo said firmly.

“May the Force be with you,” Obi-Wan said.

“May it be with us all,” The Kel Dor returned.

They could only hope.

CWCWCWCWCWCW

Bones had agreed that Cody could leave MedBay, but only if someone was going to stay with him for the night. Obi-Wan had immediately volunteered.

“Would you feel better if one of your brothers stayed with you tonight?” Obi-Wan asked gently. “I don’t mind staying. But if you would rather it be one of them, I understand.”

Cody had been awake long enough this time to do a lot of thinking and his mind had spiraled into a dark place. He wanted his beloved Jedi to stay with him but there was a part of him that was still afraid and hurt. Finding out that he had not been in control of his own body, and worse not _remembering_ it, had been terrifying. His thoughts and feelings were a mess.

“After everything, I don’t deserve for you to stay with me, sir,” Cody said, voice full of pain. 

The Jedi Master could not let that stand. This was not Cody’s fault and he would get him to see that. He moved close and rested his hand on his Commander’s shoulder

“I want to stay.”

That was the last straw. Cody broke down. 

“Ni ceta, ni ceta,” He gasped out, his entire body trembling.

Kix and Bones had warned Obi-Wan this might happen. After everything that had happened that day, including _brain surgery_ , Cody was likely to have a hard time keeping his usual level of control. Obi-wan didn’t blame him. The Jedi just desperately wished he could sooth his beloved Commander’s pain. Obi-Wan pulled him close and held him tight. Cody curled into his embrace, pressing his face into his Jedi’s shoulder. The Jedi shifted his hold, so he was cradling the back of his Commander’s head with one hand, leaving the free one to wrap securely around his back. 

“Shhhh. It’s alright, Cody. You have nothing to be sorry for. This wasn’t your fault. I don’t blame you for what happened.”

“I would never hurt you, General. Never. I would sooner _die_ than cause you harm.” 

“I know, Cody. I know. It’s alright,” Obi-Wan said as he held Cody close. “Everything is going to be alright. We’ll figure it out. It’s alright.”

Once Cody’s trembling had eased, Obi-Wan encouraged him towards the bed.

“You need to try to sleep. You need to heal.”

Cody didn’t try to argue, merely let himself be led. He slipped off his boots as Obi-Wan removed his own. The Jedi lay on his side, pressed up against the wall. The Commander hesitated, but let himself be drawn in. Cody lay on his side facing Obi-Wan, close but not daring to touch. The Jedi realized what was happening and reached out to pull the dark-haired man in closer. Obi-Wan held Cody close with one arm, using the other to rub soothing lines up and down the clone’s back.

“Obi-Wan,” Cody whispered.

“Shhh. We have much to discuss, my dear Cody. But it can all wait until you are feeling better. Just sleep now. I will guard your rest,” Obi-Wan promised, voice low but strong.

It was only a few moments before Cody fell asleep in Obi-Wan’s arms. The Jedi used the Force so very gently to nudge the Commander into a deeper sleep. Obi-Wan only felt comfortable doing so because it had been discussed earlier and Cody gave his consent. Obi-Wan would never use the Force to forcibly _make_ one of his men sleep, outside of an emergency. But easing them deeper into sleep was another matter. Cody had agreed to allow the General to do it if the General felt it necessary. Obi-Wan _knew_ it was necessary. The troubled state of Cody's mind would allow the man no true rest without help. So, Obi-Wan would soothe his sleep and hold him close, offering what comfort he could.

The morning would bring plenty of trouble with it. For now, they slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a:
> 
> Ni ceta- An apology, literally "I kneel"


	3. Worries Abound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fears and worries abound after the discovery. And the Council hearing rumors of an incident on the Negotiator puts everyone on edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bad news: This chapter took on a life of its own and did very little of what I had planned.  
> Good news: I have about 2/3 of the next chapter already written because of how I ended up shifting things around. So the next update should be by the end of the week!
> 
> In some ways this is a lot of filler, but we do get some things happening that are advancing the plot!
> 
> This story takes place late season three. I've tried sprinkling in context clues to help with that but I admit I should have had a heavier hand with the sprinkles.

CWCWCWCWCW

The next morning Obi-Wan, Anakin, Cody and Rex reconvened in Obi-Wan’s office to continue discussions. This was hard enough on the men; they didn’t want to talk about it on the bridge unless they had to do so.

“We should start with one trooper each from Torrent and Ghost,” Rex said. “We need to know how it’ll go with chips that _aren't_ malfunctioning. Cody’s recovery was likely harder and longer because of the chip’s condition. And we need to know Kix and Bones are each capable of overseeing the surgery confidently.”

Cody had not so gently nudged his brother into one of the chairs when they walked in. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with Rex awkwardly standing and he could tell Skywalker was too far into his own head to tell his Captain it was ok to sit. 

“Rex is right. We can’t risk starting large scale removals until we know the impact it’ll have,” Cody pointed out from his usual seat, across the desk from his General.

“That is a wise precaution,” Obi-Wan agreed, one hand absently stroking his beard.

“Ok, where do we start?” Anakin asked.

He had yet to sit down, alternating between standing by the window and hovering near the edge of Obi-Wan’s desk, the anxious energy practically radiating from him.

“I’m volunteering. I’m not about to ask one of my men to undergo a procedure I haven’t,” Rex said bluntly.

“Rex…” Anakin started to protest.

“Waxer has volunteered as well,” Cody said, cutting off whatever Anakin was about to say. “No good officer is going to ask his subordinates to submit to a procedure like this before he does.”

“Rex and Cody are right, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. 

The younger Jedi didn’t want to give in, but he knew this was an argument he wouldn’t win. He _might_ win an argument against _one_ of these men. He stood no chance against all three.

“Fine. I don’t like it, but I get it. I would probably insist on the same,” Anakin conceded.

Obi-Wan understood Anakin’s fear, but he also understood that Rex really needed to do this.

CWCWCWCWCW

Less than two hours later, Rex and Waxer were in surgery. Both came out of it with fewer complications than Cody, giving credence to the theory that the chip’s state was responsible for Cody’s recovery time. Roughly an hour after surgery, both were being released from their MedBays. Cody had traveled with Rex and Anakin back to the _Resolute_ and he stayed with the blond clone after his surgery was complete.

Even in his own quarters, Rex struggled to settle. His mind had been conjuring all manner of horrible scenarios and now that he was alone with Cody, he could share them. He needed to be strong for his men and he would never burden his General, but he could share with Cody, who was in a similar position. 

They sat side by side on Rex’s bunk, shoulders pressed close in support.

“Your chip malfunctioning made you attack your General. Little gods, Codes, what if _mine_ had malfunctioned and I attacked _Ahsoka?_ She’s a karking _child_. I couldn’t have lived with…”

Cody turned and grasped his brother’s shoulder tightly.

“STOP. Stop. Don’t go there, Rex. Don’t put yourself through that. It didn’t happen and now it won’t. Your chip is gone. Hells, that kid is as much _your_ Padawan as she is Skywalker’s. You’d never hurt her. Just keep reminding yourself of that.”

“Fives, Echo and Jesse are just back from ARC training. Fives and Echo are skilled, but they still seem so _young_ sometimes themselves. The thoughts that one of them could have hurt her…kark,” Rex gasped out.

“ARCs and officers are first on the removal list. They will be safe before she comes back,” Cody reassured.

The majority of the vode in the 501st and 212th liked Skywalker’s feisty young Padawan. So he understood how Rex’s mind would latch on to that particular fear. For all that she would protest being called a child, there is no denying she still was. The fear that if things had been different, they could have hurt her…yeah, Cody understood that fear.

“What if...what if that’s what they’re for?” Rex whispered in horror. “What if making us hurt our Jedi is what the chips are for?”

Cody closed his eyes as if trying to deny the words, but eventually he couldn’t hide from them.

“I’ve thought about that too. I really don’t like what it could imply, but we have to consider that we might be right. All we can do is make sure our men are being taken care of and contribute however we can to getting this fixed. And if the worst happens before then...we protect our Jedi. Because we know our brothers, Rex. We know what most of them would choose.”

Neither of them could actually bring themselves to say the words out loud. Cody squeezed Rex’s shoulder and settled so they were sitting fully side by side once more. They lapsed into silence for a few moments. Both were lost in troubled thoughts. But then Rex had a question he just had to ask.

“Are you and your General something more than...a strictly professional partnership?” The blond asked, attempting to be delicate.

The question sounded awkward that way and they both made an amused face.

“Not exactly? Not yet, anyway I don’t think. We’ve established we both want more, but this is hardly a good time to start something, you know?” Cody offered.

“We’ve always known that there’s not a single one of us with a guaranteed tomorrow,” Rex pointed out.

The dark-haired clone closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. None of them could ever forget they were soldiers fighting a war.

“I know. Force knows I don’t know a damned thing about how any of this works. But it’s nice that he’s wanting to take it slow. He was supportive and comforting after my surgery. He stayed with me and just held me. Offered his strength when my own was failing. It felt good, to be cared for like that,” Cody admitted.

“Just don’t let him hurt you. I know he’d never mean to, but he’s dedicated to the Jedi Order and they’re not exactly supportive of relationships,” Rex said.

“We’ve said that we have a lot to talk about. I’ll take care, I promise. Now, _you_ are supposed to be _resting_!” Cody scolded with a gentle bump of shoulders.

Rex grumbled but settled in to try to nap. Cody stayed with him, ever the protective brother.

CWCWCWCWCW

Within four hours of surgery, both men were declared completely recovered. Jedi and clone alike were glad that things had gone so well, and recovery was quick. They could only hope it was a sign of how the endeavor would go overall.

Kix and Bones worked well into the early part of the ships’ night, removing the chips from as many of their officers as possible. They wanted them all ready so that when they began on the rest of the troopers after the battle, the officers could handle monitoring them for any issues.

They were scheduled to arrive at their next campaign mid-morning the next day and they needed to be ready.

CWCWCWCWCW

The battle was over in three days, but they waited an extra day to report their success, using every minute of that spare time to perform surgeries. They began to set a schedule by squad. Since the men could be back on their feet quickly, when it was their turn, troopers reported to medical at the end of their shifts. They had the surgery and were released back to their bunks where they were watched over by their officers and other brothers who were already recovered.

Obi-Wan knew that Plo and Aayla were doing the same. He had also known word would get out about _some_ part of this mess, but he had hoped for more time. Anything spreading outside of their careful control was a risk.

“Obi-Wan, we received a report about an incident on your ship. It indicated a problem with your Commander,” Mace said.

They would need to find out _who_ this report had come from. But that was for later.

“Nonsense,” Obi-Wan replied blithely. “I’ve never had any issues with Commander Cody.”

Mace sighed.

“I wanted to give you a chance to explain, but if you’re going to be difficult you don’t leave me much choice. Obi-Wan, we received a report that your Commander assaulted you on the bridge of the _Negotiator._ ” 

Obi-Wan went rigid. Anakin, just out of view of the holocall, tensed. He was prepared to act however Obi-Wan needed.

“That is a gross exaggeration of what happened,” He insisted.

“So, there was an incident?” Kit Fisto inquired.

Obi-Wan’s face solidified into his mask as The Negotiator.

“There was a minor incident caused by extenuating circumstances that I am not comfortable discussing over a holocall,” He said placidly.

“Are you hurt?” Depa asked gently.

“Not at all. My Commander is incredibly loyal. He would never intentionally cause me harm,” Obi-Wan said firmly.

“But cause you harm unintentionally, he might?” Yoda challenged.

Obi-Wan did not back down.

“You are all making far too much of a minor situation that we put behind us days ago.”

Anakin only partially understood what Obi-Wan was doing. He understood Obi-Wan’s need to protect Cody. But why not reveal what they had discovered? A call with the entire Council seemed the perfect time.

“Obi-Wan, we don’t know what happened. We aren’t trying to judge your Commander without facts,” Kit cautioned.

Obi-Wan weighed his words carefully.

“Commander Cody did attempt an assault, but there were extenuating medical circumstances,” Obi-Wan explained.

“Had he taken a head injury?” Depa asked, concerned.

It was a logical assumption, given Obi-Wan’s easy forgiveness of the action. Head injuries could induce extreme confusion and disorientation, or worse. In such conditions, incorrectly reacting to something as if it was a threat was understandable. It would be forgivable by all and Cody would bear no blame. Obi-Wan wished he could say that Depa was right, but an outright lie now would be a terrible idea. He needed them to trust him when he told them about the chips. If he lied now, he might not be able to get them to listen later without Anakin or Plo or Aayla there to back him. He had always done his best, but still. To ask them to trust him on something so outlandish would be difficult if he was caught lying now. So while he couldn’t tell them the truth over long range comms like this, he wouldn’t lie. It was too much of a risk.

“No. It was something else,” Obi-Wan replied. “But I assure you, it has been sorted by our medics. He is fine now and there is no further cause for concern.”

“It was medical but not a head injury? Then he should be returned to Kamino for evaluation,” Mace said. “That’s the protocol.”

“I am aware. But it is completely unnecessary in this case,” Obi-Wan assured. His voice hardened, “Commander Cody is not going to Kamino.”

“Return to Coruscant you will,” Yoda said with a disapproving look. “And in person, explain yourself. Not right, this is.”

“As you will,” Obi-Wan said evenly.

The call disconnected a brief moment later. Obi-Wan exhaled his frustration.

“Why didn’t you tell them about the chips?” Anakin asked.

He couldn’t understand Obi-Wan’s decision here.

“A call with the entire High Council would be exactly the sort of thing our enemies would try to intercept. We know they _have_ in the past. It’s too great a risk. I will speak with Mace and Yoda in person when I arrive on Coruscant.”

Anakin’s eyes widened. He should have realized that.

A moment later Anakin’s comm pinged.

“I’m to join Master Billaba in three days' time,” He said as he read the message. “She’s finishing a campaign, I’m to join her for the next one.”

“Then you have three days to continue de-chipping your men. Make sure you tell Depa everything when you see her,” Obi-Wan ordered. 

“I will, Master,” The Knight assured. He paused for a moment then asked, “Will you tell Ahsoka? She needs to know, and it’ll be better if she learns it from you.”

“Of course, Anakin. You didn’t even need to ask,” The Master assured.

“She’s going to be so upset. I know her studies at the Temple are important too, but I don’t like that I’m not always able to be there for her,” Anakin lamented.

“I’m sure she understands. All the Padawans have to deal with a situation that is very different from what you or I experienced. But they adapt. It’ll be alright,” Obi-Wan reassured.

CWCWCWCWCW

They summoned Cody and Rex. Neither was pleased with this newest development.

Cody wouldn’t let himself dwell. Any sort of censure from the Council and he was a dead man, no matter what his General said or wanted. For now, though, there was something productive he could do.

“I’ve been giving it some thought. There’s a new, experimental unit that might be of use to us,” Cody offered. “Clone Force 99. They call themselves the Bad Batch. One of them, named Tech, is incredibly gifted with anything remotely technological. He would be a big help.”

“I’ll take whatever help I can get. The 501st slicers and I still haven’t managed to crack the last layers of encryption on the chips,” Anakin admitted in frustration. “We’ve gotten through the first two, but I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“Tech should be able to help. The Batch is led by Sergeant Hunter. I’ll contact him and issue orders to have CF99 meet up with you. Would you rather have them with you before you reach General Billaba?” Cody asked.

“Yes, please. It’ll arouse less suspicion if they’re already with us,” Anakin said. “We don’t want anything too out of the ordinary until I have the chance to brief Master Billaba.”

“I’ll contact them as soon as we are done here,” Cody assured.

They all felt it. They had known they were working against some unseen clock. Sooner or later word was going to get out, and there would be added danger as a result. There was only going to be so much time before the person or persons responsible for the chips found out they knew and were taking action. Once Obi-Wan went back to Coruscant, that clock would begin to countdown even faster, they were certain of it. They just hoped _they_ were faster than it was.

CWCWCWCWCW

The work continued as the _Negotiator_ departed for Coruscant, leaving the _Resolute_ behind to begin preparations for their next campaign. That night, Obi-Wan and Cody curled up together in the Jedi’s quarters. They still pushed no further than simply taking comfort in one another’s arms. Neither was in the right frame of mind for more. That time would come. They hoped.

“I will keep you safe,” Obi-Wan assured Cody as he held him close.

The dark haired man gently caressed his beloved Jedi’s face.

“I trust you,” He replied before pressing their foreheads together gently. “But I don’t want you to risk yourself in my defense. My brothers _need you._ They need you and Skywalker to figure out what these chips are and make sure they are removed from everyone else. Promise me you will put that first.”

The Jedi sighed heavily. At the heart of it, wasn’t _this_ what the warnings about attachment were about? Could he do it? Could he let Cody go if it meant preserving the chance to protect the rest of the clones and possibly even the Jedi, if their worst fears were accurate? The General part of him knew he had no choice. The Jedi Master knew there was only one answer. _Obi-Wan_ hoped with everything he had that it wouldn’t come to that. But even that side of him, the side that was just _Obi-Wan_ knew what he would have to do. If, for some unfathomable reason, he couldn’t convince Mace and Yoda that his actions had been justified, he would let Cody go.

“I promise,” He answered softly.

It would break his heart, but he would do it. Because neither of them could live with the consequences if he didn’t.


	4. Knowledge Shared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan returns to Coruscant. Word keeps spreading. Anakin and the clones learn more.  
> And rumors reach Palpatine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got the rest of this plotted out and unless another chapter pulls a chapter 3 & takes off in an unexpected direction, there will be 7 chapters to this fic!  
> That puts us at the halfway mark now.

CWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan was dismayed to learn that Mace had departed Coruscant before his arrival. In fact, only two other High Council members were in the Temple. That was incredibly unfortunate. 

The three Jedi Masters settled onto the cushions in Yoda’s quarters. The other two looked at Obi-Wan expectantly.

“I admit, I have a number of questions,” Kit Fisto said when it was clear Obi-Wan wasn’t inclined to start without prompting.

“I understand. But once I have explained the situation, I believe you will agree with the decisions I have made,” Obi-Wan said honestly.

“An explanation, we do require. Inappropriate were your actions,” Yoda said firmly.

Obi-Wan took a breath and considered how to begin.

“Yes, Commander Cody did attack me. However, it was immediately apparent he was not in his right mind. The Force felt _wrong_ as it happened. Cody didn’t feel like himself. And he was repeating the same phrase: _good soldiers follow orders,_ ” Obi-Wan explained.

Kit’s eyes went wide. Yoda looked surprised, a rare feat. In most other circumstances, it would have been a satisfying accomplishment.

“How did you handle it?” The Nautolan Jedi asked.

“I knocked him out with the Force. Anakin and Rex arrived just then. We summoned my chief medic to take Cody to MedBay. The Commander regained consciousness shortly thereafter, with no memory of what had occurred,” The human Jedi continued. “Things proceeded to get both better and worse from there.”

Slowly he explained everything that had happened and all that they had learned.

“Chips? In all the men? Are you _sure?_ ” Kit asked.

Obi-Wan understood that horror in the other’s voice. He knew a great many words in many tongues and not a single one seemed sufficient to describe how upsetting this situation was.

“Every soldier checked so far in the 212th, 501st, 104th and 327th,” He replied sadly. “And anytime now, Anakin should be sharing the news with Depa.”

“Worked so far, perhaps this has, but de-chip an entire army like this, we cannot,” Yoda pointed out.

Obi-Wan inclined his head, acknowledging the point.

“I am aware. I simply felt it was too dangerous to risk sharing this news across the galaxy by comm. I had hoped more Council members would be here when I returned.”

Yoda made a considering sound.

“A wise precaution, yes. And yes unfortunate, that here, more are not,” He allowed. “Certain of their purpose yet, are you?”

The human Jedi sighed heavily.

“Not yet. Anakin and several of his best are working on slicing their way into the chips. They haven’t yet accessed them. But there is no denying how _dark_ they feel in the Force,” Obi-Wan told them.

“Then expect the worst, we must,” Yoda said, ears drooping.

“A malfunctioning chip caused one of the most loyal clones in the army to attack the General that it is well known he _adores_ ,” Kit said. “That alone is proof of their intent.”

Obi-Wan had a hard time not flushing at that. He hadn’t thought Cody’s devotion was so well known. There was a teasing glint in Kit’s eye as the Nautolan looked at him. It was just a brief moment of calm normality before they refocused on the issue at hand.

“Investigate, we should. Kamino should be the focus,” Yoda said.

“Is that wise?” Kit asked.

“We _could_ pass the word to Shaak Ti. Have her make a discreet investigation?” Obi-Wan suggested. He frowned, “There is high risk of her being caught, but there is no solution without some risk.”

“Too risky is a message from this distance,” Yoda pointed out.

That recurring problem was going to be their biggest hurdle. Nine messages out of ten might reach their destination without being intercepted. But that tenth? It could ruin everything.

“I am nearly due to pick up more SCUBA troopers. I could simply tell them we have received intelligence about a possible battle that I need to be prepared for, so I am coming a little earlier than scheduled. Commander Monnk could have things sorted for us to depart by morning,” Kit offered. “The Kaminoans don’t exactly track the movement of each company.”

“That would work. It’s not unusual for any Jedi stopping to pick up troopers to meet with Shaak,” Obi-Wan agreed. “I can give you a copy of everything we currently know to take to her. And have my medics show Commander Monnk’s men the procedure so they can begin work on their battalion.”

“You should have them show the healers here as well. You know Master Che would want to know and assist if possible,” Kit pointed out.

Obi-Wan winced.

“I would _not_ want to face her wrath if she was not informed,” He conceded.

“We should brief every Jedi that we can. Vos is due in tomorrow. It would be good to start spreading word among the Shadows,” Kit said thoughtfully.

Obi-Wan hadn’t considered the Shadows and that was an oversight on his part.

“A good plan, this is,” Yoda agreed. He looked at Obi-Wan and asked sternly, “Now: the attachment conversation, should we have again, hmm?”

Obi-Wan sighed.

“No. That won’t be necessary,” He answered.

He wasn’t yet ready to give voice to some of the thoughts that had been swirling around his mind of late. Those thoughts could come later. If they all got to _have_ a later. For now, it was enough that his beloved Cody was safe, and they had a plan to learn more.

CWCWCWCWCW

After the meeting with Kit and Yoda, Obi-Wan immediately commed Cody asking him to come to the Temple. He met his Commander near the entrance and was careful to make it seem like they were heading for a briefing; nothing to see, just a General and his Commander. Then he carefully led Cody to his quarters.

“Considering I’m not under arrest or being restrained for return to Kamino, I take it things went well?” The clone asked once they were alone.

“Kit and Yoda agree my decisions were justified,” Obi-Wan told him. “And they agree you are not at fault. You are safe, my darling.”

Until that very moment, Cody hadn’t realized just how concerned he actually was. It felt like a great weight had been removed from his shoulders.

Obi-Wan didn’t even try to resist the impulse. He pulled the other man into his arms and held him tight.

CWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan desperately wished Anakin were here to do this. But alas, with the younger man still in the Outer Rim, the task fell to Obi-Wan. Telling Ahsoka about all of this was one of the hardest things he would ever do, of that he was certain. They settled into the living area of his quarters, cups of tea in hand.

“This isn’t going to be easy for either of us,” Obi-Wan began. “But you must be made aware.”

Ahsoka tensed. She felt that something was off with her Grandmaster. This ominous statement didn’t help.

“What happened, Master Obi-Wan?” The young Togruta asked.

“It began with an unsettling event on the _Negotiator_ …” He said, launching into an explanation of events.

“Of all the times for me to be _here_ ,” The Padawan lamented as the Jedi Master finished the tale.

She stared dejectedly into her teacup.

“Actually, young one, I do believe it’s better that you weren’t with us,” Obi-Wan said calmly, setting his own cup down on the table before them.

“Why?” Ahsoka asked in confusion, looking up to meet his eyes.

“The men are upset. They don’t like Anakin and I witnessing it. They would like you seeing their disquiet even less,” He explained gently. “And they are protective of you. You are a _Padawan_ , a teenager. A _child_ technically, for all that teenagers despise that fact. Seeing you would’ve only forced them to face a horrifying what if. It still might, but at least that danger from your men will be gone now.”

“I...I didn’t think of that,” She admitted, running her finger along the side of her cup. She paused for a moment to try to collect her thoughts. “I just wish I would’ve been there for Rex. He’s always there when I need a shoulder to lean on.”

“Rex was there for Cody and Cody repaid the favor. None of them have been alone after the procedure and we will ensure it stays way,” Obi-Wan assured. “He’ll appreciate seeing you now. Your men always miss you when you have to spend time here at the Temple.”

CWCWCWCWCW

The men of the 212th were afraid. Work on removing the chips was progressing, but what if it wasn’t _fast enough_? What about their brothers in other battalions? What if word didn’t reach their brothers before the Sith learned they found the chips? What if the _Senate_ found out about the chips and decided the clones were too dangerous? There were so many questions and so few answers. They knew their Commander knew more than they did, but they didn’t want to add to his burdens with their questions. So, they sat crowded together in their barracks to talk, with a contraband jammer running for security. They hadn’t anticipated their Commander keeping an eye on them and realizing what was going on.

It meant Cody heard Wooley ask, “What if the Generals decide they can’t trust us anymore?”

That was a question that hurt them all and as their Commander, he couldn’t ignore it.

“That’s not going to happen,” Cody announced as he entered the room.

His men froze.

“Sir, what are….” Waxer started.

Cody held up a hand, silencing him.

“I’m checking on my men, who are dealing with a difficult situation,” He said simply.

“We didn’t want to bother you. You have enough to worry about,” Longshot offered.

The Commander frowned.

“I wouldn’t be worthy of my rank if I wasn’t concerned about all of you,” Cody countered. “You have questions. I may not have the answers. But ask anyway. You all need to get this off your chests.”

Somehow, it was just a bit easier to deal once they were able to voice their questions and fears.

CWCWCWCWCW

After a short, but successful campaign, Anakin pulled Depa aside and told her everything.

“No wonder Obi-Wan was so protective of his Commander,” Depa said softly. Her heart ached for her friend; it couldn’t have been easy to bear. She straightened her shoulders and continued. “This is terrible. What do I need to do to protect my men? And is there a plan for the rest of the GAR?”

Anakin knew there was a reason he always liked Master Billaba. 

“We’ve worked out how to find and remove the chips. Kix can teach your head medic everything he needs to know. The good thing is the surgery is less complicated than you’d think. The bad thing is most of our ships only have one surgical bay capable of the procedure,” Anakin explained. “And Obi-Wan will be briefing anyone he can while on Coruscant. Aayla and Master Plo are already aware and have been working on their troopers. They will also spread the word as they can.”

“Good. We had best make the most of the time we have,” Depa said firmly.

“Agreed. Let’s get to work.”

Depa summoned her Commander.

“General, is everything alright?” Grey asked.

“No, Commander, I’m afraid it is not. General Skywalker has brought us terrible news.”

Grey was wearing his helmet, but the tension was clear in every line of his body. His General’s grave tone had him preparing for the worst. His idea of the worst paled in comparison to what his General told him then. 

CWCWCWCWCWCW

Afterwards, Grey took Rex to his office so that the Torrent Captain could fill him in on more of the details. He almost wished he hadn’t. 

“General Billaba recently took a Padawan. He’s so young, Rex. So _small._ What if it had been one of mine and they went after Caleb?” Grey asked, trying not to feel sick.

Rex grasped Grey’s shoulder firmly in support.

“I understand, Grey. I do. My immediate thought was what if it had been me and I went after Ahsoka. Unfortunately, those of us with Padawan Commanders just get to have extra nightmare fuel from this,” He said sadly.

Grey shook his head, desperately trying to clear the nightmarish images from his mind.

“How’s Cody doing now?”

“It’s Cody. He’s learned too many bad habits from his General. One of the things he said was ‘better me than someone else’, like he was somehow better suited to handling it or more deserving of the suffering,” Rex growled. “I didn’t call him on that osik to his face, but I was tempted. None of us deserve this.”

“Of course not. But it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that he’s thinking that way. Like you said, it’s Cody. He’d take on the burden for all of us if he could. He’s always been that way. You can’t really blame his General for that,” Grey said with a sigh. “It’s probably why they are so well suited to one another.”

“I didn’t meet Cody until ARC training,” Rex said quietly.

“We weren’t in the same squad, but you know that CCs weren’t trained the same ways you CTs were. We interacted more with each other. It surprised exactly none of us that he was the first to reach the rank of Marshal Commander. He was always driven and fiercely protective. It’s just who he is,” Grey reminded. “All any of the rest of us can do is be there to support him. And each other. This is going to be hard on all of us clones as word gets out.”

“Do you want me there while you brief your officers?” Rex asked.

“Please. Hearing from you how quickly removal and recovery goes should help,” The Commander said.

“Then I’ll be there,” The Captain agreed.

“Thank you.”

“Vode an, remember?”

Grey smiled.

“Vode an.”

CWCWCWCWCWCW

Later that afternoon, Anakin’s comm chimed with an incoming message. It was from Aayla.

_I’m teaching Masters Tiplar and Tiplee that new trick you showed me. It’s slow going, learning mid-campaign always is, but we’ll get there._

Anakin smiled. The word was spreading carefully, just as Obi-Wan intended. He responded simply.

_Good to hear! Let me know if any of you need any tips!_

Anakin sat back in his chair and started to think. It wouldn’t be too much longer and the 501st would be entirely de-chipped. That was encouraging. The 212th was smaller, so he hoped they were done. He didn’t know how much progress Master Plo was making but Anakin hoped it was good and that he had been able to spread the word by now as well. He also hoped that Obi-Wan came up with a plan to reach the rest of the GAR. He would meet with the slicers again later in the day. They _had_ to crack those blasted chips.

CWCWCWCWCW

Anakin had finished some of his much-neglected paperwork and was planning to go find Echo and Tech. As if they had known that they came bursting into his office with Rex in tow.

“We cracked another two levels of the encryption,” Echo blurted. “Sir.”

Anakin waved him off. Formalities were the least of his concerns at the moment.

“Tell me everything you’ve found,” He ordered firmly. 

“There are still two levels of encryption left,” Tech advised.

Anakin frowned heavily. What in the name of the Force could need _six_ levels of encryption?

“Yes, but what we found on the two we broke through today is...disconcerting,” Echo explained.

“The chips are what we feared. They’re control chips,” Rex interjected when he doubted that his ARC trooper was going to get to the point.

Anakin had to drop the datapad that was in his mechanical hand before he crushed it. He had to remind himself that Council hadn’t known, that _Obi-Wan_ hadn’t known. He was so, so angry. 

“Tell me everything,” He repeated.

CWCWCWCWCW

Cody realized that it would be awhile before the Jedi thought about the Coruscant Guard. He wasn’t going to make that mistake. He ordered several of his Ghosts to watch the entrances to the barracks and make sure Fox knew he wanted to see him.

“What was so urgent?” Fox asked, bewildered when he came to Cody’s bunk late that evening.

He didn’t _dislike_ Cody. They got along just fine. It was simply that they had never been close, so an urgent request for a meeting was surprising.

“We, the clones, have a really kriffing huge problem,” Cody said bluntly.

Fox quirked an eyebrow. That seemed like an understatement given the general state of things.

“A problem _other_ than being forced to fight a war for the Republic?” He asked.

“Yes.”

Fox idly wondered if they should be drinking for this conversation. When Cody finished his explanation, Fox was both glad he was sober and desperately wishing for a drink. This was too much.

“Guard doesn’t have access to medical facilities that aren’t monitored,” Fox managed worriedly.

Cody swore a litany of curses that would make a bounty hunter proud. He hadn’t considered that. They needed a plan.

“Guard isn’t much bigger than a single company,” He mused after a moment.

“What’s your point?” Fox demanded.

“Most natborns can’t tell us apart in armor. We’re here for a day or two at least. So, we rotate members of Guard through the _Negotiator_ in armor with Ghost colors. Maybe a few in unpainted armor. We _do_ have some shinies in Ghost right now so it wouldn’t seem unusual on the off chance anyone is really paying attention. Meanwhile, some of my boys will fill in for yours. Recovery is quick, so each man could be back to his duties within hours if needed to avoid suspicion. No one likes wearing armor that isn’t theirs, but for something like this? They can deal with it,” Cody said firmly.

It was a ballsy plan. Fox wasn’t surprised by it in the slightest.

“When and where do we start?” He asked.

“Some of my men have stayed on the _Negotiator._ It wouldn’t be any surprise that I would go check on them before going to bed. I’m a responsible Commander after all,” Cody said with a sly grin. “And if a shiny happens to tag along because he’s trying to get on my good side...well…”

“First, you don’t have a good side. Second, I hate you. Third, fine. Let’s do it.”

CWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan meditated shortly after dawn before heading to the barracks to check on his men. He knocked at Cody’s door and politely waited until he was given permission to enter. The dark-haired man was definitely not his normal, put together self at the moment.

“You look tired,” Obi-Wan observed. “Are you alright?”

Cody smiled softly.

“Late night with Fox and his boys,” He admitted.

The Jedi went still.

“Oh, Force, _the Guard_.”

Cody stood from his bunk and tugged Obi-Wan into his arms. He cupped the other man’s face and brought their foreheads together.

“Shhhh. Fox and his men have been briefed. Removals have already been started. You’re planning for everyone and everything else. I have the Guard. It’s alright,” He reassured. 

“Some days, I wonder how I’d manage all this without you,” Obi-Wan said with a small smile. “What’s your plan?”

“I think you’re going to like this!” Cody said with a sly grin.

CWCWCWCWCW

“I do find myself wondering, Master Kenobi, if continuing to trust Commander Cody is wise,” The Chancellor said. “He is a Marshal Commander after all and that means he has a great deal of authority and responsibility. We need to be _sure_ about the people in such positions.”

His tone was intended to sound so reasonable, yet regretful. 

Obi-Wan didn’t buy it. At all. He had been incredibly dismayed when the summons for a meeting with the Chancellor had come mid-morning. He had been even more dismayed to learn that the man had learned about the existence of an incident from reports given to him by the Council. Why they had chosen to include it, without waiting for his explanation, he didn’t understand.

“Handled, the situation has been,” Yoda countered. “Unfortunate, the incident was. But not one that will be repeated. Unnecessary for you to be informed it was. Your time, we have wasted.”

“Knowing what is happening with one of our highest ranked troopers is hardly a waste of my time, Master Yoda. But having never met him before, I must trust your judgement I suppose. Master Kenobi, do you have any idea at all what happened?” The Chancellor asked, again in that ever so reasonable tone.

Obi-Wan didn’t have many options. He was faced with the Chancellor, who he knew to the depths of his _soul_ they could not trust, demanding answers. The Force was screaming _NO_ if he so much as considered telling the truth. That was enough for him. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi looked the Chancellor of the Republic in the face and _lied._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a:  
> Osik- shit  
> Vode an- Brothers all
> 
> Canon tells us nothing about the size of Coruscant Guard, so I made an executive decision. 
> 
> My notes to self for the last section read thusly:  
> Palpatine learns of what happened but doesn’t learn they found out about the chips, loudly questions if Cody can be trusted. Obi-Wan is pissed. He looks Palps deadass in the face and lies, then insists everything is FINE NOW, ASSHOLE.  
> ....I figured in the actual fic Obi-Wan needed to be a little more chill.


	5. Horrifying Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding answers doesn't immediately make it better. Sometimes, it makes it worse.

CWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan didn’t want word of the potential threat posed by the GAR getting out, but he knew Bail Organa needed to be aware that _something_ was happening. There was every likelihood that they would need Senate support before this was over.

“We have learned of a terrible danger and I don’t trust the Chancellor,” Obi-Wan told his friend once they were secure in the man’s private apartments, jammer running.

Bail hesitated for the briefest of moments before admitting, “Neither do I. Something _isn’t right_ but I can’t point my finger to what it is. It’s just an unsettled feeling whenever I’m around him.” 

“Trust your feelings, Bail. The Force may speak most strongly to those who can truly access it, but all beings are connected to it. It might be trying to guide you,” The Jedi said. He added, “Or it may purely be your own well-honed intuition. We need whatever help we can get.”

“For safety’s sake, don’t give me details yet. Just know that whatever you need to do, you have my support,” Bail told him. “And whatever support I can rally in the Senate when the time comes.”

“Thank you. It is much appreciated,” The Jedi said, relieved.

“Are you alright, my friend?” The Alderaanian asked.

“No,” Obi-Wan admitted. “But I will be.”

He had to believe that.

CWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan left the next morning to return to the Outer Rim and meet back up with Anakin, with Ahsoka in tow. He had never been so grateful to leave Coruscant in his life. The Padawan felt the same. She wanted to be with her men.

The good news was, they had managed to de-chip all of the Coruscant Guard and by the time they met back up with the 501st, every single trooper in the 212th would be chip free as well.

It was a sign of progress, something they sorely needed.

CWCWCWCWCW

It was late when Cody made his way to Obi-Wan’s quarters. Fortunately, his beloved Jedi was ready for bed. It was nice that they weren’t going to do anymore work that night. 

“It’s been a long few weeks. We both need the rest,” Obi-Wan said, picking up on Cody’s thoughts.

Cody removed his armor and boots. By then, the redhead had settled on his bed, so he joined him. The dark-haired man lay on his back and the other tucked into his side and partially sprawled across his chest. Cody was self-aware enough to admit, he wanted this every night for the rest of his life. He didn’t know if it was possible, but oh he _wanted._

“This is nice,” He said softly. 

He allowed himself to trail a hand up and down his beloved’s back. It seemed to relax and comfort them both.

“Yes, it is,” Obi-Wan agreed.

He shifted until his head was right over Cody’s heart. The strong beat was grounding and soothing. Only now that they were away from Coruscant, away from the threat of Cody being taken from him, did he truly feel like he could relax. 

“I want us to have a future,” Cody admitted quietly. “Together.”

Obi-Wan slid one of his hands down to grasp one of Cody’s before entwining their fingers.

“We will. We will find a way,” He assured.

“And if the Order won’t allow it?” The clone challenged.

He loved this man, but he wasn’t going to get his hopes up if there was no chance for them.

“I think, given the war and what it has done to us, the Order needs to take a good long look at a great many things. One of those things is what we _mean_ when we say attachment. Under the current popular teaching, a great many of us are attached. But love and attachment are not the same thing. I think the Order lost sight of that fact somewhere along the way. It’s a point I intend to argue once the Sith is eliminated, and I know I will have support when I do,” The Jedi said firmly. “I...I love you. Very much. I will find a way for us to have a future.” 

“No. You had it right before. _We_ will find a way,” Cody countered. He pressed a kiss to the top of Obi-Wan’s head before adding, “And I love you too. We have so much more to talk about and I know this isn’t the time. But you have to know that at least.”

“We will have our time to talk and to plan. We will find the Sith, end this war and have a future before us,” Obi-Wan said, voice full of conviction.

Cody realized there wasn't much he wouldn’t believe when it was that voice saying the words. 

CWCWCWCWCW

The _Negotiator_ and the 212th’s other ships had barely dropped out of hyperspace at the rendezvous when Anakin notified Obi-Wan that he was inbound. 

“He’s found something then?” Cody inquired.

“I can feel his anger and his unease from here. They have found something, and I fear it is terrible,” Obi-Wan admitted.

Obi-Wan, Cody and Ahsoka waited for Anakin and Rex to arrive. The Jedi Knight practically threw himself out of his ship in his haste to reach the others. Rex followed at a more reasonable pace.

“It’s so much worse than we could have ever imagined,” A horrified Anakin explained as soon as he stood in front of his former Master.

“How bad?” Obi-Wan asked, needing to know.

“There’s an order built into the chips. If it was issued, every clone that received it would immediately turn on their Jedi and kill them,” The Knight explained. He was shaking as he continued. “Obi-Wan, the Order says eliminate _all_ Jedi. _All._ That would include Padawans. _Crechlings_. Our men would be turned into little more than droids and forced to kill _children._ ”

This was the confirmation of all of their worst fears and then some.

“And we still don’t know who is responsible,” Obi-Wan whispered in horror.

CWCWCWCWCW

“I want there to be a _crater_ in place of Tipoca City,” Anakin snarled after they had relocated away from the hangar.

“Isn’t Kamino a lot of water? How would that even _work_ , Master?” Ahsoka asked with a confused frown.

“It’s a figure of speech, Snips!” Anakin defended.

Cody and Rex looked amused at the pair’s antics. They needed the distraction, however brief.

‘We know the danger, now.’ Obi-Wan thought to himself. ‘We will make this right.’

There was so much they _couldn’t_ fix. They couldn’t undo the lives lost. The couldn’t undo the horrors they had faced during training (Obi-Wan had seen Shaak Ti visibly angry only once- when she reported on the Kaminoan’s tendency towards killing any clone that wasn’t perfect and calling it “decommissioning.” They put a stop to that _immediately_ but Obi-Wan couldn’t help but regret all the lives it cost before that moment.) But this. _This_ they could fix. And they would.

Obi-Wan put a restraining hand on the Knight’s shoulder, interrupting before he started another tirade.

“First, we remove the chips. Then, we determine who the Sith Master is, and we eliminate them. Once all the potential threats to our men are removed, _then_ we demand answers from the Kaminoans if needed. We can’t risk an attack there until we _know_ our men are safe. And we would have to get a large number of young clones off Kamino first,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “Master Ti will be quietly investigating on Kamino. Hopefully she is able to learn something and further intervention there won’t be necessary.”

Ahsoka moved to hug her Master.

“We’ll protect them, right?” She asked.

“Of course, we will, Snips,” Anakin firmly as he hugged his Padawan tight.

In his mind, there was no other possibility.

CWCWCWCWCWCWCW

After they had dismissed the others to get some rest, Anakin had questions about Obi-Wan’s trip to Coruscant.

“What did you tell the Chancellor?” The Knight asked, curiously.

“I told him we had found a powerful Sith suggestion buried deep in Cody’s mind, but it had been removed, thus eliminating the danger. I also reassured him that you and I have _personally_ checked for such things in any of our men who have come anywhere near a darksider and no further threats have been found,” Obi-Wan answered.

Anakin frowned. That sounded unnecessarily complicated.

“Why not tell him the truth?”

“Technically, it is true. From a certain point of view,” Obi-Wan said.

The Knight sighed in frustration.

“Obi-Wan.”

The Master hesitated. He knew his former Padawan disliked any criticism of his friend the Chancellor. He knew the younger Jedi would be angry if he admitted to his lack of trust in the Chancellor and they could not afford any division between them at the moment. They had to trust each other more than ever.

“The Force cautioned against it,” He opted to say.

“The Chancellor is a good man, Obi-Wan!” Anakin protested.

“But can you guarantee the loyalty of his entire staff? Can you guarantee no spies have found ways to plant listening devices in his office?” Obi-Wan asked, bypassing further discussion of the Chancellor himself for now.

The younger Jedi faltered at that.

“You’re right. You couldn’t know his office was secure at the time,” He allowed.

The Jedi Master would take that for now. 

CWCWCWCWCWCWCW

“You’d think that knowing would’ve helped some,” Rex said shakily.

He and Cody were sitting in the Commander’s quarters.

“Having our worst fears confirmed was always going to hurt,” Cody said, pressing his shoulder against the blond’s. “But I admit, part of me still held out hope for a different answer, slim though that possibility was.” 

“I just... _what do we do?_ Can we afford to take the risk that whatever plan the Jedi Council came up with will be enough? That it’ll be fast enough to safeguard everyone before the Sith realizes that we know? Tech said he hasn’t seen any signs that them breaking through the encryptions has set off signals of any kind, but what if he just missed it? They are still working on the last layer, what if it does?” Rex asked. “I just keep thinking up all these worst-case scenarios, Codes.”

Cody's mind was hurtling through thoughts with all the speed of a ship in hyperspace, so he understood. The dark-haired clone slipped an arm around the blond’s shoulders and pulled him close. There were a million things out of his control, but this wasn’t one of them. He could comfort his brother.

“We come up with our own back-up plan. That’s what we do. We back our Jedi but we’re ready to act if they can’t. Bly and I are Marshal Commanders. Between us, we could reach every Vod in the GAR in seconds and issue a go dark command that they ‘d obey until one of us lifted it. If things go wrong, we do it. Our brothers wouldn’t know what was happening, but they’d be safe,” Cody explained.

Rex leaned more heavily against the other clone.

“You’re always one step ahead.”

“Best way to keep up with these lunatic Jedi,” The dark-haired clone said with a smirk.

CWCWCWCWCWCWCW

The war waited for no one. They were deployed to a new battlefield the next day. For the next several days they had no time to worry about what the Supreme Chancellor may or may not be thinking. No time to worry about if news was spreading through the GAR. The only thing that mattered was the battle at hand.

But that wasn’t to last. Both Jedi were recalled to Coruscant as soon as the battle was over.

It was clear to all of them that their countdown clock was nearing zero.

CWCWCWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan was pleased to learn that Mace had also returned to Coruscant several days before, and work was progressing on de-chipping the 91st. Plo also reported the completion of the de-chipping process for the 104th. Both were sorely needed bits of good news.

Obi-Wan almost wished he didn’t have to be the one to reveal what they had learned, but the Council, at least those present, needed to know. He gave a basic recounting of what they had done. Anakin testified to what his men had found. They showed the proof.

There was dead silence in the Jedi Council chambers.

They now knew the full magnitude of the threat. The horror exceeded even their worst fears.

“I’ve seen shatterpoints around some of the clones since the beginning. I never understood why. This...it might explain that,” Mace said.

“We know about it now and we are working to remove the chips,” Depa said gently.

There wasn’t a single one of them that was going to argue _that._

CWCWCWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan was nearing the limits of his “calm Jedi demeanor”. Either the Chancellor hadn’t believed his story, or he was posturing. He was _still_ asking questions about Cody’s fitness for command. The only reason the situation hadn’t gotten worse was that he hadn’t asked those questions beyond the Jedi Council. Still, it was only a matter of time until word got out. He would likely have to go back to Bail and fill him in.

“The Chancellor wants to see me,” Anakin said, hesitating in the doorway of Obi-Wan’s quarters. “I should tell him the truth. It would make him back off about Cody.”

“And if it doesn’t? If he decides the truth is too distressing to risk letting out? And he demands Cody be _sacrificed_ for the sake of calm?” Obi-Wan demanded.

“I know you and the Chancellor don’t always agree, but he’s a good man, Obi-Wan! He won’t do that!” the Knight argued.

“He’s a politician. He will do what he feels makes most political sense. Right or wrong won’t enter into it,” the Master said.

Anakin hesitated. He didn’t want to lie. But he knew this was personal for Obi-Wan. But _why_ was Obi-Wan so defensive? That’s what he didn’t understand. Cody was important to Obi-Wan, sure but this was practically the level of protective Anakin would be with Padme…wait. Anakin’s mind stuttered to a halt. No. It…it couldn’t be. Could it? Could Obi-Wan…no that was _impossible._ Obi-Wan was the perfect Jedi. He couldn’t have...have romantic feelings…

“Is everything alright?” Obi-Wan’s voice asked, derailing Anakin’s spiraling thoughts.

“I’m fine!” the younger man assured quickly. “Now, about what I should tell the Chancellor…”

“My concerns about security haven’t evaporated! We _know_ there have been breaches. We _know_ the Separatists have gotten information from meetings that happened in the Chancellor’s office. Until those concerns are addressed, you cannot risk telling him what we know,” the Master said firmly.

All of that was true and he hoped it would be enough.

“Obi-Wan.”

“Do you want to be the reason the Separatists learn about a major vulnerability in the GAR? Do _you_ want to be the reason the clones are put in more danger? Do _you_ want to be the reason the Order is put in more danger?” Obi-Wan demanded harshly.

Anakin physically recoiled, horrified at those possibilities.

“Never,” He whispered hoarsely.

The older man closed the distance between them and put his hand on his former Padawan’s shoulder.

“I know,” He said gently. “You just needed a reminder.”

CWCWCWCWCWCWCW

“Anakin, my boy, so good to see you!” Palpatine greeted. “Please, sit!”

“Your Excellency. I know it’s been a while. The war has kept me out in the Outer Rim recently,” the Jedi replied as he took a seat.

“I was hoping that you would be willing to shed some light on something for me,” the Chancellor said a long moment later.

He looked hesitant.

“If I can, I’d be happy to,” the Jedi Knight assured.

“The incident between Master Kenobi and his Commander. I’m afraid it's been constantly on my mind. I understand why Master Kenobi would feel some measure of loyalty towards the Commander who has been at his side for so much of the war, but still. If the man _attacked him_ , I find his behavior a cause for concern,” the older man said, posture radiating reluctance and concern.

Anakin froze. Obi-Wan’s words about the possibility of a security breach in the Chancellor’s office ringing in his ears. What could he say? No matter what Obi-Wan had cautioned, he wasn’t about to _lie_ to the Chancellor! 

“I understand and agree with Obi-Wan’s actions,” He finally said a long moment later. 

“You do?” The Chancellor said, sounding shocked.

“There were additional considerations. The situation has been resolved. There is no doubt of Commander Cody’s loyalty,” The Jedi replied. “None whatsoever.”

“If you are so certain, I suppose I must trust that. After all, for all that you two don’t always see eye to eye, I know how important your former master is to you,” Palpatine allowed.

“If I thought Cody was a threat, either to Obi-Wan or to the Republic, I would deal with him myself,” Anakin bluntly.

It was the truth, for all that he disliked saying it.

“Then I suppose I must leave matters alone,” The Chancellor conceded.

The visit ended not long later, and Anakin headed for Padme’s. He wanted to talk to her about his earlier revelation about Obi-Wan’s behavior and potential feelings. She would help him sort it out.

CWCWCWCWCWCWCW 

After Anakin left to go meet with Palpatine, Obi-Wan met with Plo Koon. He had a feeling he needed someone else who was close with their men. Together, they meditated on some of the feelings Obi-Wan had been getting from the Force. There was no denying the Force was trying to tell them _something._ The question was _what?_ The Force showed them several things but they both struggled to see how it all fit together. What were they missing? They went their separate ways for the night with a promise to meditate further alone and meet again in the morning to discuss any new revelations or ideas.

Obi-Wan sat in his quarters contemplating the things he and Plo had sensed and seen. The Force kept pushing his consciousness towards the Senate Dome. And _towards 500 Republica._ Why? Had Dooku told him the truth, all that time ago on Geonosis? Was the Republic _really under the control of a Sith Lord?_ Could they truly have missed such a thing? That was absurd. 

Obi-Wan froze, nearly dropping his teacup.

_But what if it wasn’t?_ Betrayal of one’s Master was a time honored Sith tradition. What if Dooku had been trying to recruit him as his own apprentice, with the goal of taking out his Master together?? In that case, lying would not have served him. 

500 Republica.

_Yes._ The Force seemed to say as he listened deeply. _There. Look there._

500 Republica.

The home of the Supreme Chancellor. Chancellor Palpatine, who had claimed to be Anakin’s friend from the start. Chancellor Palpatine, who had tried _twice_ to insist Cody was a threat. Could he be the Sith? Could he truly be the one they had been looking for all along? Could they truly have missed such a thing? Could they truly have been so _blind_?

Obi-Wan put his teacup down and sank to the floor. He assumed a meditation position.

_I’m listening._ He said to the Force. _Show me. Guide me. What do I need to see?_

Memories rose in his mind. Moments that seemed to form a pattern. Anakin’s moods were always worse after visits with Palpatine. His resentment was always stronger. How had Obi-Wan not realized? How had he missed this? How had they _all_ missed this?

_Yes._ The Force whispered. _Look. There. Answers there._

More and more memories flitted along his consciousness. Slowly, Obi-Wan connected the dots. He was _furious_ when he did _._ Palpatine was Sidious and he has had Anakin in his clutches for _years_ unchecked. How had he missed a plot that targeted his Padawan? Because it was clear what Palpatine wanted. He wanted the Chosen One.

And now? Now those evil sights were on Cody, albeit for vastly different reasons.

Kriff that. Sidious could not have either of them. 

_Obi-Wan Would Not Allow It._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anakin's record screech moment when he has his epiphany nearly derailed this chapter because he wanted to freak out about it a lot. Padme helps him calm down.
> 
> My notes for this chapter included the following:  
> Post battle, they go back to Coruscant. Palps is still on his bullshit.  
> Obi-Wan connects the dots. He is furious. Obi-Wan Will Not Have It, Sir.


	6. Shaken Foundations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan reveals what he has learned, but he's not the only one with a revelation.  
> It shakes them all, but there is no time to waste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this took longer than expected. Certain characters (read: All Of Them) were not very cooperative this time around.
> 
> Many thanks to Evilkillerpoptarts for betaing this chapter, to RogueLadyVader and Sheapunk89 for the assist with the Anakin conversation and the lovely folks of the new Codywan server for helping workshop the Council scene.

CWCWWCWCW 

It was the middle of the night when Obi-Wan emerged from his meditation with the answer to their biggest question. It was one he never would have wanted, but there was no denying it. This was too important to wait. He immediately commed Mace.

“Someone had better be dying right this exact second,” Mace said tiredly. 

“I’ve identified the Sith Master.” Obi-Wan replied.

Mace swore. “I’ll wake the rest of the Council.”

CWCWWCWCW

As he waited for the other Councilors to arrive, Obi-Wan felt his mind start to drift. _How was he going to tell Anakin?_ Would Anakin even _believe_ him? Force. Was the rest of the Council even going to believe him? It’s not like he had solid proof.

He looked around as the other Councilors filtered in. Mace, Depa, Plo, Yoda and Agen Kolar were all present on Coruscant. Given that they were fighting a war, Obi-Wan supposed he should be grateful that they had even half of the Council on planet. 

“I have determined the identity of the Sith Master. It is worse than we could have ever imagined,” Obi-Wan announced to the gathered Council Members.

“Further thoughts on our meditation yesterday granted you insight?” Plo asked.

The younger Council member nodded.

“It did. We have all felt how the Force is dark and clouded. But if we ask the right questions, it can still nudge us in the right directions,” Obi-Wan explained.

“A name, you have?” Yoda prodded.

“The Sith Master is none other than Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine,” Obi-Wan declared.

For several long heartbeats, silence reigned in the Council chambers. 

“How do you know?” Mace demanded.

“I followed whispers of the Force,” Obi-Wan said, before he launched into an explanation of everything he and Plo had meditated on, as well as his own thoughts from the evening before and the Force’s guidance.

Stunned silence followed his explanation. None of them knew what to say.

“What other instances do we know of that would support Obi-Wan’s determination of the Sith Master’s identity?” Mace asked after a moment.. 

It was frightening, the number of puzzle pieces that started to fall into place as they each spoke.

“Our enemy is in the highest position of our government possible and we can’t risk notifying anyone who is not already here,” Depa whispered in horror, her body tense.

Obi-Wan bowed his head in acknowledgment of her words.

“Unfortunately, that is true.”

“It brings up worse complications than that. It means every piece of intel we have for the GAR is suspect. He and his underlings, you know he has them, have access to all of the GAR’s intel,” Mace pointed out. “They could tamper with it. Hells, they could fabricate it altogether! And that’s not even touching that they could hand it right to the Separatists!”

“The number of times highly classified intel made its way to Separatist hands _did_ help push my thoughts in the direction of the Chancellor’s office,” Obi-Wan admitted. 

“Tell you, Dooku did. On Geonosis,” Yoda reminded.

“What purpose did that serve?” Plo asked.

Obi-Wan explained his theory.

“Hmmm. Fitting, for a Sith, that is,” Yoda agreed.

“If we act without some form of proof, we could have trouble with the Senate,” Depa pointed out.

“We could confront him and hope he reveals himself,” Kolar said, though he sounded reluctant. 

Mace frowned heavily at that.

“That’s a risk.” 

“Is there any move we can make here that isn’t?” Depa countered.

“No, there isn’t,” Obi-Wan agreed.

“Careful, we must be,” Yoda said. “Clouded, the Force remains.”

“But it can still guide us, if we ask the right questions and listen carefully,” Plo pointed out.

The point was conceded. It was harder to determine the Will of the Force than in decades past, but it was still possible with enough dedication.

CWCWWCWCW

Obi-Wan returned to his quarters several hours later with the intention of making a cup of tea and having firstmeal before tracking down his former Padawan. Instead, he entered to find a shaking Anakin sitting on his couch.

“Are you alright? Is Ahsoka alright?” He asked, mind immediately going to worst cases. 

“You were right. You were right all along. How could you see it and I didn’t? _How did you know?_ ” the younger man demanded.

The older man sat down next to his former Padawan.

“Anakin, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Palpatine is the Sith Lord. Palpatine. _I thought he was my friend but he’s a Sith._ This whole thing is his fault. He was going to turn our men into mindless _slaves_ to his will and slaughter the Jedi and I didn’t _see it_ …” The blond said, his body shaking even harder as his mind spiraled.

“Stop. Take a breath. That’s it. Just breathe,” Obi-Wan gently instructed. 

He wasn’t usually very physically affectionate with his former Padawan but if there was ever a situation that called for a hug, it was this one. He wrapped his arm around the younger man’s shoulder and pulled him close. He could feel Anakin taking slow, deep breaths to rein himself in. 

“He’s a Sith,” Anakin repeated, his tone full of pain and grief.

“How did you discover it?” Obi-Wan asked carefully.

The Knight sat up and turned to face his former Master.

“I had a hard time sleeping last night. I woke up about 0200 and just couldn’t fall back asleep,” He explained.

Obi-Wan noted with interest that Anakin woke right at the time he himself came out of his meditation. Had his own distressed thoughts reached his former Padawan through their bond? The bond they should have severed when Anakin was Knighted, but that they kept… 

“I have one of the chips with me, so I gave up on sleeping and decided to try some more with slicing through the last layer of encryption. I succeeded. There were audio files connected to a few of the more serious orders…” the Knight trailed off, swallowing hard.

He looked away and didn’t continue.

Oh. That could mean only one thing.

“You heard his voice?”

Anakin nodded, clenching his fists. After several heartbeats he started to speak again.

“I…recognized the voice. It was Palpatine’s voice, embedded in those files. I woke Padme and told her what I found…and she...oh kark…” Anakin said eyes widening as he realized what he had said. 

“Oh Anakin,” Obi-Wan said with fond exasperation. “I’ve known about you and Padme since that day on Geonosis. You weren’t exactly _subtle._ ”

“He always said you’d hate me if you knew,” the younger man whispered. “And I believed him. I was so blind and _stupid._ ”

“You are many things, young one, but stupid is not one of them. He portrayed himself as your friend. He simply played on our habit of poor communication quite well,” Obi-Wan mused. 

“I trusted him. Obi-Wan, I trusted him,” Anakin gasped out, voice breaking. “But it was him. It was always him. He was always a Sith. He always had this plan.” 

“We know the clones were ordered around the time of the Naboo crisis,” Obi-Wan said softly. “Around the time he became Chancellor.”

“It was an act. It was all an act. He was never my friend. The whole point of _all of this_ was always just...him. But I don’t _understand_ ,” the younger man sobbed.

Obi-Wan pulled Anakin back into his arms and hugged him tight.

“Just let it out. Don’t bottle this up. Let yourself feel the grief,” the Master murmured as he gently rubbed his former Padawan’s back.

“But…I thought I was supposed to control my feelings,” Anakin countered when the tears had started to subside. 

This was a well-worn conversation.

“You must be _mindful_ of your thoughts and feelings. Yes, you do need to control _them_ rather than let them control _you._ But you must acknowledge and feel them if you are going to release them to the Force,” Obi-Wan reminded him.

Anakin huffed and leaned more firmly against the older man.

“What do we do?” He asked softly.

“It was a night for revelations it seems. I discovered the Sith Lord’s identity too, though what you found will give us better proof. The Senate doesn’t always like ‘the Force said so’ as reasoning. I’ve been in a Council meeting since well before dawn. We have the beginnings of a plan,” Obi-Wan explained. He tightened his grip on his former Padawan. “He wanted you, Anakin. He wanted you to Fall, to become his Apprentice.”

“No. I won’t. I swear I won’t Fall!” Anakin vowed. “I won’t!”

Obi-Wan remembered being twelve years old and making that same vow to disbelieving Masters who were certain his temper meant he was destined to Fall. He remembered swearing to Qui-Gon that he was _not_ like Xanatos du Crion and he _would not Fall_. He was always doubted. Others might doubt Anakin now. But _he_ would not. 

“I know,” He assured before tightening his hold. “I know.”

He felt Anakin’s hand clutch at the front of his tunic, but the younger man seemed to have lost a bit of the tension in his body. 

They were The Team. This would not break them.

CWCWWCWCW

Once Anakin had calmed, they took the evidence he had collected to the rest of the Council.

“Good proof, this is, to show the Senate,” Yoda declared.

“If any of them will listen to us,” Mace said with a deep frown. “Palpatine is deeply embedded and we know corruption runs deep in the Senate.”

“Senator Organa will listen, and I trust him. He already knows that we found _something_ troubling with the clones and promised that we would have his support for anything we needed to do. I can speak with him again, take him copies of what we found. He will know who else we can trust,” Obi-Wan said. Mace was still very tense. It made the younger Jedi pause. “What is it?”

Mace rested his steepled fingers against his chin.

“Shatterpoints. Very intense, very numerous shatterpoints. More than I can ever recall seeing around a single event. There are many paths we could take here. I fear how many could lead to our destruction,” He said. 

The others in the chamber shifted in their seats as they tried to contain their own concerns.

Depa didn’t try to hide hers.

“Sidious doesn’t have reason to think we know. We cannot afford to wait too long, but we have some time. We can take a little time to plan properly and plan for multiple contingencies,” She pointed out. 

Obi-Wan nodded thoughtfully.

“Agreed. And I know Cody, Rex and Fox are working on a fallback plan as well,” He admitted.

“And also, to get some rest. We should not challenge a Sith Master while tired unless we have no choice,” Plo Koon interjected.

The others agreed. They would take a few hours to rest and meditate before reconvening after mid-day to begin to plan their attack. 

CWCWWCWCW

A meal, a short mediation and a nap had both Anakin and Obi-Wan feeling better. The others looked refreshed as well.

“Any of the troopers on Coruscant that aren’t yet de-chipped should be sent to a ship and put under full communications blackout, just in case,” Obi-Wan stated.

“Agreed. We haven’t had much time, so only about 45% of the 91st has been de-chipped,” Mace said.

“My battalion as well. My officers have all been de-chipped, but we’re only at about 83% completed overall,” Depa agreed.

“The 212th, 501st and 104th are completely de-chipped,” Anakin said. “So that still gives us good numbers.” 

“The Guard is safe as well. It certainly could be far worse, yes,” Obi-Wan agreed.

“Certain, you are, about the Guard, hmm?” Yoda asked.

“Cody assured me it was handled. I trust his word,” the younger Master replied without hesitation.

“What if he tries to send a message to the clones _not_ on Coruscant?” Anakin asked. 

“We don’t dare send a warning before we engage Palpatine. Someone will need to send one as soon as we do,” Depa acknowledged with a frown.

“Cody can issue a command putting all clones under a communications blackout until they hear from him or another Marshal Commander,” Obi-Wan explained. “He has already factored that into a backup plan.”

“Your Commander is a very efficient man,” Depa said with a small, but teasing smile. 

Obi-Wan couldn’t help the faint blush.

“Indeed, he is. Good man, that Cody,” He said, trying to keep his tone even. 

_Anakin_ snorted. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing, Master. Nothing at all,” The Knight said innocently.

“When do you meet with Senator Organa?” Depa asked, redirecting the conversation as an apology for starting it.

“I am to meet him at his apartment after the end of Senate business today,” Obi-Wan replied, happy for the change of topic.

“About our plan of attack,” Mace said, pulling their focus back with a pointed look.

CWCWCWCWCW 

“You’re sure of this?” Bail asked in horror as Obi-Wan showed him what they had learned.

They met at Bail’s apartment and had jammers running before the Jedi Master had pulled out two datapads with every bit of information they had gathered in the last weeks. The chips. The orders. The voice recordings of Palpatine giving the orders. All of it. The Senator was having a hard time processing it. He hoped this was all some sort of bad dream.

“Very, my friend,” the Jedi said solemnly.

The Alderaanian put his head in his hands.

“How did we miss this?” He asked.

“You aren’t a Force sensitive. The Jedi, those of us on the Council especially, should have realized long ago. There is no blame on you for this,” Obi-Wan assured.

“I knew he was corrupt, but I never imagined…” Bail trailed off. He shook his head. “What do you need from me?”

“We need this information to be carefully distributed to Senators we can trust before we move against him,” Obi-Wan explained.

The Alderaanian nodded thoughtfully.

“There are a few I would trust. And many others who would follow our lead.”

The Jedi hesitated for a moment.

“Padme is already aware. Anakin was with her when he came across some of this information.”

Bail tilted his head in acknowledgement, but said nothing to indicate judgement, Force bless the man.

“Then I’ll start with her. Mon Mothma of Chandrila is another we can trust. Perhaps also Riyo Chuchi. She is young, but a staunch defender of the Jedi Order and she has grown since the incident on Orto Plutonia. A handful of others, though I don’t know if you’ve met them. I will take this only to those I would trust with Breha’s life.”

Obi-Wan smiled. He knew _that_ was a level of trust not easily earned.

“When do you act?” the Alderaanian asked.

“When do you think you could be ready?” the Jedi responded. “We don’t want to make our move without support, should this go poorly.”

Bail looked at the chronometer on the wall. It wasn’t too late.

“We can be ready by morning.”

Obi-Wan nodded.

“And so shall we.”

CWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan returned to the Temple and shared the news with the rest of the Council.

“With support in the Senate, we can act on what we have,” Mace agreed. “We’ll be able to find more proof after we arrest him.”

“And if he doesn’t surrender?” Depa asked.

“We do what we must. For the Republic. For the galaxy,” Plo said.

They had planned for that. But yet somehow, they had managed to make those plans without anyone outright saying it.

“What about Anakin?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Letting him anywhere near Sidious is a risk,” Mace said.

“Anakin will not Fall. I have faith in him,” Obi-Wan argued.

“Skywalker’s strength would be of help,” Plo agreed.

Debate raged for some time.

“Perhaps he can remain here, in charge of defending the Temple?” Depa suggested.

Anakin wouldn’t like it, but he would take being charged with defending the innocents who could not defend themselves better than he would take simply being left behind.

Unfortunately, Obi-Wan was given the task of telling him about it in the morning.

“I will help you,” Depa said with a small smile. “I have a plan.”

“I’m curious to see it,” Obi-Wan replied.

Shortly thereafter, they adjourned for the night so they could all take their rest.

In the morning, they had a Sith Master to defeat.

CWCWCWCWCW

Cody was waiting in Obi-Wan’s quarters when he returned.

“I hope it's alright that I’m here,” He said quietly.

The Jedi pulled his beloved into his arms. 

“We have no guarantees of what tomorrow will bring. I won’t turn down the chance to hold you tonight,” Obi-Wan admitted.

Cody brought their foreheads together.

“Good. Neither will I.”

Cody wanted more, but knew it was not the right time. He had faith that together, they would succeed. It made him determined that he didn’t want the memories of the first time he made love with his beautiful Jedi to be tainted with fear or desperation. But he would gladly take whatever comfort simply sleeping at his side would bring on that night and happily offer the same.

CWCWCWCWCW

Morning came all too early.

Obi-Wan hoped he would be able to convince Cody to stay at the Temple. After everything that had happened, he wanted his beloved Commander as far away from Sidious as possible. 

“They'll need you if we fail.”

The Commander’s response was immediate.

“No way in the nine Corellian hells am I staying here. _I'm going with you_. Rex and Skywalker can keep them safe if we fail. They’ll have plenty of support- four battalions and a legion is far more than we have in most battles. And they’ll have commanders if they need them. Grey and Neyo are staying as well. I won’t make much difference here. But I can with you.”

“Cody,” Obi-Wan said softly. 

“Call me selfish, but I would rather die by your side than risk surviving when you don’t.”

“Cody,” Obi-Wan said again.

“If it were just Skywalker and Rex, I’d stay. If they didn’t have support, I’d stay. But they will. So, I’m coming with you.”

At that, Cody pulled him close and kissed him. He could live with the memory of their first kiss being a moment of determination before battle. It suited them, he thought.

“Oh,” The Jedi said softly as they parted, though they separated only far enough to shift into Keldabe.

“I don’t want to risk dying never having done that. We have a conversation to finish, remember? About what comes next? We have to survive this in order to have that conversation,” Cody murmured.

“You are absolutely right,” Obi-Wan replied. “We have a future to decide on.”

The clone smiled. A future. He had never thought he’d have one of those. The Sith Master was not taking the chance from him now.

“Shall we go ruin Sidious’ day?” the Jedi asked.

“I’d prefer to ruin his entire life.”

“I do believe that is feasible, my dear.”

“Possibly even end it,” Cody added, a slightly feral grin on his face.

Obi-Wan didn’t disagree with him.

It was a last moment of just being Cody and Obi-Wan before they walked out Obi-Wan’s door. Once they crossed that threshold, they had to be Jedi Master General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Marshal Commander Cody.

And they had a Sith to fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope it was worth the wait!
> 
> In Canon they confront Palpatine right away, but I always assumed it was because he essentially confessed to Anakin. In a verse where that didn't happen, I imagine they'd want their proverbial ducks in a row before they confront him.


	7. The Showdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all lead to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be one more short chapter. There are some conversations that still need to be had and I didn't want to jam them all in this chapter.  
> But we really are nearly at the end!

CWCWCWCWCW

Obi-Wan knew the conversation with Anakin was going to be unpleasant from the moment he realized he was going to have to be the one to have it. He pulled Anakin aside from where they had gathered with the other Council members, their Padawans, and the clone Commanders.

“You aren’t coming with us,” He said quietly.

“Excuse me?” the Knight demanded. 

“You know the plan involved someone staying in case there was a threat to the Temple,” the Master pointed out.

“I didn’t realize it was going to be me! I should be _there_!” Anakin protested.

“We need you here, Anakin. If we fail, you will be all that stands between the Sith and the Temple,” Obi-Wan argued.

“If I’m with you I could make sure it doesn’t come to that!” Anakin shot back.

“We know Sidious wants you. He would target you specifically,” Obi-Wan tried.

“I won’t Fall. I won’t!” Anakin swore.

Obi-Wan put a hand on his former Padawan’s shoulder.

“I know that. But he will target you. When he realizes he can’t turn you, he’ll realize his plans have failed. We don’t know what contingencies he has in place for that,” Obi-Wan offered reasonably. “If you aren’t part of the equation and he doesn’t realize you know, he will behave differently.”

“If you’re there, he’ll know that I know!” the Knight argued.

“Not necessarily. He has spent years sowing distrust. He might think your lack of involvement means you weren’t trusted to know,” Obi-Wan said.

Anakin looked away. There _was_ wisdom in his former Master’s words, as much as he didn’t like it.

But still.

“You can’t know that. I should be there,” He insisted loudly, adamantly.

His voice easily carried to the rest of the group. Plo and Depa knew that was a sign that they needed to step in to assist, as they had promised they would.

“Think of the Initiates in the creche, Skywalker. They need someone strong to protect them should something go wrong,” Plo said, tone encouraging.

Anakin turned to look at him. For a moment, he said nothing.

“I can’t be the leader they would need,” He said quietly.

“You can be their protector. And you _are_ a leader. You lead men into battle, do you not? It would be a different situation yes, but you could handle it,” Plo challenged. “And if evacuation became necessary, you would only have to lead them until you could reach one of the other Councilors.”

Depa realized the men were getting nowhere. Her plan was slightly underhanded but needs must. Caleb was standing at her side. She gently but firmly nudged Caleb to Skywalker’s side instead. Then she looked Skywalker right in the eye.

“I'm trusting you with my Padawan's life, Skywalker. Do not disappoint me,” Depa said firmly.

Anakin froze. He was honestly more worried about disappointing Depa than either of the other two. 

“I’ll take care of him,” He promised.

Obi-Wan gently offered a few more reassurances, then the Masters and the troopers accompanying them left. Anakin tried not to panic. Master Billaba was _not_ more frightening than a Separatist army or a Sith Lord. She _wasn’t._

Ok, maybe she was, especially when there was a Padawan involved. 

“I don’t think I’ve met you before, little one. How long have you been Master Billaba’s Padawan?” Anakin asked.

“Only about two months, Knight Skywalker,” Caleb answered dutifully.

Anakin swallowed his panic. That meant Caleb was _young._ So young. And he was _so small, had Anakin ever been this small???_

“No matter what happens, Caleb, I need you to stay with me or Captain Rex at all times. Do you understand?” The Knight asked, surprising himself with how even his tone was.

“Yes, sir!” The Padawan chirped in reply.

Anakin was fairly sure Rex was rolling his eyes under his helmet. He looked at the assembled clone officers. 

“Rex, I want Torrent and the members of Ghost that stayed here in the creche wing, just in case. I want the rest of the 212th securing the Halls of Healing and the holocron vaults. The 501st will secure the remaining main levels of the interior. Commander Grey, take your men and the 104th. Secure the perimeter. Commander Neyo, take the 91st and secure the lower levels that have exterior entrances. We must be prepared for anything. We have no idea what the Sith’s contingency plans might be.”

His orders were met with a chorus of “Yes, sir!”

“I know the Knights were briefed earlier and that they were given orders already. Ahsoka, gather all the Padawans that are in the Temple whose masters aren’t here. Get them to one of the large training rooms. I’ll brief them there before sending them to the creche or the Halls with the men.” 

“Of course, Master!” She said before hurrying off.

“Caleb, with me. We’re going to check in with Master Nu and then Master Che.”

CWCWCWCWCW

As they arrived at the Senate dome, Cody issued orders to the troopers who had accompanied them and coordinated with Fox. Cody, Wolffe and the troopers with them would stay outside the Chancellor’s office. They would secure the lifts to his floor and the hallway outside his office. Fox moved Guard into place to lock down the Senate if needed.

“Oh, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” Palpatine asked as the Council Members entered his office.

“You’re under arrest,” Mace said without hesitation.

Palpatine looked shocked. Obi-Wan wondered if it was genuine or manufactured.

“On what grounds, Master Jedi?” The Chancellor asked.

“On the grounds of being a Sith Lord and committing treason against the Republic,” Mace said bluntly.

Palpatine’s eyes narrowed and he looked over at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan stared right back. He would not back down.

“We know you are the Sith Master. We know you have plans,” Obi-Wan informed him. “We will not allow it.”

“So be it,” Palpatine said coldly.

CWCWCWCWCW 

All the preparations that could be made, had been. All they could do was wait. Anakin hated waiting and he could tell many of the troopers felt the same. He had heard the murmurings as he checked on everyone. Some of the troopers were touched that they were being trusted to protect the young and the vulnerable like this. Others were angry that they weren’t getting to confront the Sith. Still others were afraid that they would find themselves having to fight their own brothers if the Jedi Masters failed and the Sith was able to contact the clones not yet free of the chips. Anakin could barely stomach the idea himself, but he knew what he would do if it came to that. Incapacitate if possible, kill if not. He knew these men would all sooner die than be made to kill children. It would hurt horribly if it came to that, but he told himself he was prepared for that worst case. He had to believe it.

Anakin had no idea how much time had passed when he felt a flare of pain through his bond with Obi-Wan. The sudden intensity was enough to make him stumble. Fortunately, Ahsoka was there and she steadied him.

“Master?” she asked, tone full of worry. 

Caleb was watching him intently, eyes full of worry and a hint of fear. Rex had gone still.

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin gasped out. More pain flared, “He’s hurt. Bad. I can barely feel…no, no, no. This can’t…I should _be there._ ”

“No, sir. You should be right here. The Council was right. If they fail, we are the only protection the little ones in the creche and the injured in the healing halls have. We need you here, to lead us if the worst should happen,” Rex countered firmly.

Rex knew they had good numbers at the Temple. And Grey and Neyo were good commanders. But if they lost the Jedi Council, Cody, Wolffe, Fox, and Skywalker too? When they had absolutely no idea what they could be facing from the Sith? He wasn’t sure they could keep this together long enough to protect and evacuate those in their charge.

“But if I was there, I could _help._ I could make sure it didn’t come to that!” Anakin snarled.

“Can you guarantee that, General?” The Captain asked bluntly, voice hard.

He could not yield on this. They had to remember the number of lives at stake _inside_ the Temple. The Captain would not risk allowing innocent children to die if there was anything, _anything_ he could do about it. Even if it meant being a bit ruthless with his own General.

The Jedi Knight froze. He wanted to insist that he could. He wanted to swear this involvement would be enough. His pride insisted it would be. But his rational mind knew there was no such thing as a guarantee in war. He had never managed to beat Dooku in a fight, only managing a draw at best. Could he guarantee a victory over the Sith _Master_? Reluctantly, he had to admit the truth.

“No,” He whispered quietly.

“Then your place is here,” Rex said, voice calm but unyielding.

Anakin took a deep breath and tried to release his anxiety into the Force. He had to focus.

“You’re right. Let’s check in with everyone again. I can’t just stand here. I have to do something.”

“Of course, General.”

CWCWCWCWCW

Anakin was about at the end of his patience when he felt it. When they _all_ felt it. The wave of darkness was strong enough that it knocked every Jedi in the Temple to their knees. The troopers feared it was some sort of attack. But within seconds it passed. When it did, the Force felt lighter than it had in years.

“They did it,” Anakin gasped out. “They killed him.” 

He scrambled for his comm, desperate for news of Obi-Wan. No one answered. The Knight turned pleading eyes on his Captain. Rex was already dialing Cody’s comm code.

“Yes, Rex. They succeeded. Palpatine is dead,” Cody said as the call connected.

He sounded out of breath and exhausted.

“Is everyone alright? Are _you_ alright?” Rex asked, trying not to sound as desperate as he was for the information. 

“General Kolar is dead. General Windu lost part of his one arm. Generals Kenobi and Billaba were injured and are currently unconscious.”

Caleb let out a worried noise and Anakin went rigid. It was one thing to feel it, it was quite another to have it confirmed.

“They’ll both need to be in the healing halls for a while, but Generals Koon and Yoda are certain they will recover. We lost a handful of troopers to the Senate guard, unfortunately. But we subdued them. We’ll give more of a report when we return. Things are being handled here now. The Senate is being called in to emergency session. The Sith is dead but there is still a potential threat. Your orders still stand, Captain,” Cody stated firmly. 

“Understood, Commander,” Rex said with a nod.

The comm call ended and the Captain looked up.

Anakin was hugging both Ahsoka and Caleb. The poor younger Padawan was trembling. Rex had to admit, the young one had been very brave to hold it together so well for this long.

“Your master is going to be ok, little one,” Anakin assured Caleb gently.

“So is yours,” The young Padawan replied softly.

Anakin let out a suspiciously wet sounding laugh.

“Yeah, yeah, he is.”

There was a long way to go yet, but the worst part of the storm was over.

CWCWCWCWCW

Anakin was pacing anxiously and had been almost constantly for the nearly two hours since Master Che had been summoned to tend the injured. She had taken two other healers, a healer’s padawan, Kix and Bones with her. Rex had legitimately contemplated stunning his General three different times since then.

“Sir. These floors have been around for a long time, but I’m not sure they can take much more of your pacing,” Rex said, allowing just a hint of a teasing tone to color his voice.

Anakin paused, sheepish.

“I just...I need to see him, Rex. I won’t feel better until I do,” He admitted.

Ahsoka didn’t hesitate to pull her master into a hug.

“Master Obi-Wan is strong and _stubborn._ He’ll heal. And be right back to lamenting your flying in no time!” She said cheerfully.

The Knight laughed at his Padawan’s words. He had to admit, they cheered him up a little. He started to respond but stopped when he realized what he was sensing.

Finally, _finally_ the Councilors and troopers had returned.

Obi-Wan was awake, though clearly tired and in pain. Anakin finally relaxed even as he rushed to the stretcher’s side. He was fairly certain it was the first time he _breathed_ since Cody told them Obi-Wan was injured.

“I’ll be alright,” Obi-Wan said tiredly. “Nothing some bacta and rest won’t fix.”

“Noting a bacta _tank_ and some rest won’t fix,” Master Che corrected sternly from beside Master Windu’s stretcher.

Anakin had to smile at the look on Obi-Wan’s face. It was nearly a _pout._

“As you say, Master Che,” Obi-Wan replied primly.

“I know you, Kenobi. Your medic will be keeping a stern eye on you for me!” She informed him.

That was a _sulk_ from Obi-Wan now, Anakin realized.

“To the Halls!” The master healer ordered.

She didn’t try to stop Anakin, Ahsoka and Caleb from following. Neither, Anakin noted, did she bat an eye at Cody being glued to the side of Obi-Wan’s stretcher. He realized that was a conversation he and his master should have.

CWCWCWCWCW

Anakin didn’t move from the Halls for the six hours Obi-Wan spent in bacta. He _needed_ to be there. Cody was there the entire time too. Anakin had _questions_ about that, but he knew it would be wrong to demand the answers from Cody. Padme had been very stern when she told him that was a conversation he needed to have with Obi-Wan directly. He knew she was right, but that didn’t mean it was easy to swallow back his questions as he and Cody sat there staring at the bacta tank.

What felt like an eternity later, Obi-Wan was settled in a bed in one of the rooms in the Halls of Healing.

“Skywalker. I know you have questions. We all do. But they are to wait until morning. He is to _rest._ Do I make myself clear?” Master Che asked.

“Of course, Master,” Anakin assured.

The Healer looked to Cody, “You should get some rest too.”

Cody’s hesitation was clear in every line of his body.

“I will, later.”

Master Che sighed heavily.

“I’m giving you an hour, then I’m sending your medic after you!” She informed him firmly.

“Understood,” The clone replied.

Fortunately, Obi-Wan awoke before the hour was up.

“She’s right, Cody, you need to rest,” he agreed.

Anakin could feel the fondness radiating from Cody as the clone shook his head.

“I’d call you a hypocrite, but you _did_ just wake up from a dip in bacta, so I’ll be nice,” Cody said in reply.

Anakin was shocked by how relaxed Cody seemed. The Commander was always professional. Maybe this whole thing had changed more than he realized.

“I’ll go rest on the condition you do the same. I expect to find you still in this bed come morning,” Cody said firmly.

Obi-Wan sighed, but acquiesced.

“Very well. If it will ease your mind and allow you to rest, I will stay right here,” He promised.

“Thank you,” The clone replied. He turned to Anakin. “General Skywalker, I expect you to make sure he sticks to that.”

The Knight grinned.

“Don’t worry, Commander, I have over a decade of experience with this!”

Obi-Wan’s grumbles of “no respect around here” were met with quiet laughter as Cody bid them goodnight and left.

Anakin moved his chair closer to Obi-Wan’s bed. It took him five minutes to ask the question that had been burning in his mind for hours. He thought it showed that he had admirable restraint.

“So, Master. Want to tell me what’s really going on with you and Cody?”

Obi-Wan leveled him a look that showed _he_ wasn’t impressed.

“I’ll have you know you’ve practically been broadcasting that question all day. I was _unconscious in bacta_ and I could sense it,” his former Master informed him.

The Knight grinned sheepishly.

“I’m curious!” He defended. A pause. “Will you tell me?”

Obi-Wan took a moment to compose his answer.

“It’s very new and much will depend on some important conversations that the Council needs to have. I love him. He loves me. We want a future together. The rest is still to be discussed.”

“His devotion to you was always so clear in the Force. I’m glad you found someone,” Anakin said honestly. He took a deep breath and added, “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Padme.”

“Oh, Anakin. There are a great many things we should talk about. We _both_ made mistakes during your Padawan years and those complicated our relationship. Palpatine certainly didn’t help, but we caused ourselves plenty of problems. I have always struggled with attachments, Anakin. I struggled with my temper. But I didn’t think you needed to know that. I thought you needed me to be the best example of a Jedi I could be, so that’s what I tried to show you,” Obi-Wan admitted.

That was something he had never expected to hear.

“Knowing you struggled too would have helped. But there was a lot I could have been more honest with you about or things I could have tried harder to do. I realize that now,” Anakin said quietly. “You aren’t the only one who made mistakes.”

“The best thing we can do now is acknowledge that and determine how we can do better going forward,” Obi-Wan said quietly.

Anakin looked down at his hands.

“Master, I think I need help,” He admitted quietly. “I’m afraid of what influences Palpatine might have left and I don’t know what to do.”

“We have mind healers who can help. And I’ll be here, however you need me to be,” Obi-Wan assured.

Anakin reached out and clasped one of Obi-Wan’s hands with his.

“I’m glad you’re ok,” He said quietly. “When I felt you get hurt, I was so scared. I’m not ready to lose you.”

“I’m not ready to die. Works out rather well, don’t you think?” Obi-Wan said with a gentle smile.

Anakin smiled back.

CWCWCWCWCWCW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My notes for the beginning read thusly:  
> Depa is on Coruscant. She has recently taken Caleb as her Padawan. She shoves him at Anakin. "I'm trusting you with my Padawan's life, Skywalker. Do not disappoint me." _off the Council goes to confront Palps_  
>  Anakin is more worried about disappointing Depa than either of the other two, holy kriff how is this smol bean even _old enough to be a Padawan_  
>  Anakin: _panics_ Ok, this is fine. Totally fine.  
> Anakin: AHSOKA, HELP. HE'S SO SMALL
> 
> Hopefully it wasn't too disappointing not to see the whole confrontation with Palpatine. It's something that so many people have tackled. I wanted to do something a little different.


	8. Moving Towards the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palpatine has been defeated. Now its time to focus on what comes next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is officially the longest fic I have ever written.  
> Thanks for sticking with me!

CWCWCWCWCW 

The next weeks were a whirlwind of activity. The Senate elected Bail Organa as Emergency Interim Chancellor as more and more of Palpatine’s corruption came to light, casting doubt and suspicion on Vice Chancellor Amedda and all those close to Palpatine. Padme recused herself from the Senate hearings, citing the fact that Palpatine was a citizen of Naboo, but cooperated fully with the investigation. Bail’s first act had been to reach out to the Separatists. They were currently under a cease fire, with true peace talks to start in the coming days.

That meant the Jedi were free to turn their eyes inward and start assessing their own state of affairs.

Anakin started to see a mind healer. The revelation of what he had done on Tatooine after his mother’s death was shocking. Obi-Wan struggled to come to terms with what the younger man had done, but he could tell that Anakin had genuinely come to realize that his actions had been wrong. It would take a long time to deal with it. The young Knight had a long probationary period ahead of him. If Anakin chose to remain with the Order, it would be a year or more before he was allowed in the field again. Obi-Wan and Plo would step in to see that Ahsoka got sufficient field work in the meantime.

The Council also had other things to discuss. The first on the agenda? The concept of attachment.

CWCWCWCWCW

“Under the current teaching, which of us isn’t attached?” Obi-Wan inquired.

For several long moments, there was silence in the Council chamber. Depa was the one to finally break it.

“Caleb’s been my Padawan only a few months, yet I already know that I am,” she admitted.

“I’ve known since the Malevolence that I am attached to my men,” Plo stated.

There was no regret or shame in his words. It was a mere statement of fact.

“I cannot look at these young clones every day and be anything but attached,” Shaak Ti admitted quietly. 

“What do you suggest? We can’t just do away with the rules completely,” Mace pointed out.

The Master of the Order had a point. There was a reason for the rules, but that didn’t mean the rules had to stay _exactly_ as they were.

“I’m not suggesting we do that. But what we _do_ need to do is properly define what we truly mean when we talk about attachment,” Obi-Wan said.

“That’s an excellent point. Attachment was not always defined as it is now. Love, compassion, care. Those things don’t necessarily mean _attachment._ Not in a truly negative way,” Kit Fisto agreed. “For centuries Jedi married and had families. Tight bonds were encouraged. It worked then, so it is reasonable to think it _could_ work now.” 

“When we say attachment, what we really mean is something we aren’t willing to let go of. I agree, _that_ is problematic and needs to be avoided for a Jedi. Such selfishness has no place in what we do. But _selfless_ love? Familial love? Why should we shun those?” Depa asked, clearly agreeing with Kit’s point. 

Mace nodded thoughtfully. His former Padawan made good points too.

“Regulating what attachments are and aren’t allowed, then? Or when they would cross from acceptable to problematic?’ Plo asked.

“It would be a good start,” Obi-Wan agreed.

“Perhaps a set of guidelines. And a…test of some sort. Something to prove whether or not the Jedi in question can truly handle the balance required,” Shaak suggested.

That was a suggestion with a great deal of promise.

“Hmmm. Dangerous this could be,” Yoda cautioned. “Change abruptly, we should not. Proper consideration this requires.”

The Grandmaster of the Order was nearly 900 years old. Change would, naturally, be difficult for him. But at least he wasn’t trying to shut down the conversation entirely.

“A test case, perhaps?” Plo suggested.

All eyes turned towards Obi-Wan. It made him feel like an Initiate again.

“A Council member being the first _sanctioned_ trial case would show that we were taking this carefully yet giving potential change due consideration,” Mace agreed. "Given the circumstances, Skywalker's situation is an entirely different issue."

Obi-Wan inclined his head.

“I won’t make that decision for Cody, but I will speak with him as soon as we are finished here.” 

“If he agrees, bring him before us. We can determine the rest of the details,” Mace said.

CWCWCWCWCW

Cody was sitting in Obi-Wan’s quarters when he returned, comm clutched in his hand. The Jedi joined him on the couch.

“Fox said the Senate will be voting on a clones rights bill within the hour. And since it has come out that Palpatine was so adamantly against one, even many who were on the fence about us are supporting it as a way to distance themselves from him,” Cody said.

“Bail expects it to pass overwhelmingly,” Obi-Wan agreed. “He commed during my meeting, so I called him back when we took a break. I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell you.” 

Cody smiled softly. 

“I know you would have when you have the time,” He assured. “I just...I don’t know that I thought they would get this done so quickly. I thought it would be months, if not longer, before anyone thought about us.” 

Obi-Wan took his hand and entwined their fingers. 

“The Council made it clear to Bail when he was made Interim Chancellor that first thing on the priority list needed to be a cease fire with the Separatists and second needed to be freedom for all of you. And he agreed,” He admitted quietly. “Bail and I had co-written several bills since the war started that would give our troopers rights. They never made it out of committee.”

Cody’s eyes widened.

“You never mentioned that,” He said in shock.

“I never wanted to get any of your hopes up. We kept trying; Bail even tried adding small measures into other bills in the hopes those would pass. Padme did the same. I wasn’t aware at the time, but Riyo Chuchi and Mon Mothma of Chandrila did too. All were stopped with every attempt,” the Jedi explained. “But as you said, many are now desperate to distance themselves from Palpatine’s actions, so they support anything that it is clear he didn’t. We aren’t above using that to our advantage.”

Cody kissed his beloved, hand coming up to cup the other man’s cheek.

“I love you,” He said softly as they parted. “I love you so much.”

“I was only trying to do what was right,” Obi-Wan responded quietly.

“We were fighting a war and still you were trying to make sure we clones would have a future after it. That means more than you could ever imagine,” Cody insisted.

“Plo helped me. Depa and Shaak Ti as well. I wasn’t the only one who cared. We knew we weren’t doing enough for you, but we were trying to do better,” the Jedi said quietly.

The dark-haired man kissed his beloved again. 

“I’ll make sure word gets out,” He promised. Then he asked, “How did the Council meeting go?”

Obi-Wan smiled.

“Debates are far from over, but it's a start. If you don’t object, we are going to be the test case for a new set of rules. Well, more of a revival of an old set. Married Jedi used to be quite common. There were rules to it of course. Duty _did_ have to come first, so that wasn’t something everyone was capable of handling. But it did _work._ It worked for centuries. It was one of many things gradually changed over the years following the Ruusan Reformation. Some of the changes to the order in those years were necessary. Others were poor decisions. The Jedi used to be scattered across the galaxy at different Temples. We were truly part of the galaxy then, not just some mythical order tied to the whim of the Senate,” the Jedi sighed. “So many things still to be discussed but I digress. If you agree, we will be given a probationary period. If at the end of that period, it appears I am capable of doing my job just as well as I did before, then there will be no objections for our being together.”

Cody had to know.

“And if they feel you haven’t proven that?”

Obi-Wan’s body drooped.

“That part is still to be determined. Possibly I would simply be removed from the Council and we would attempt another probation period without me having _those_ duties. Possibly…I would have to choose,” he said quietly. 

“I love you. I want a future with you. But I would never ask you to give up being a Jedi for me. That wouldn’t be right,” Cody told him. 

“You’d be worth it,” Obi-Wan said. “But I much prefer to believe we will be able to meet the conditions set for the probation and it won’t come to that.” 

The clone smiled. 

“I agree. Whatever their conditions, we can meet them,” He agreed. 

Cody brought their joined hands to his lips and brushed a soft kiss across Obi-Wan’s knuckles.

“I love you, Cody,” the Jedi said softly as he watched the movement.

“How do we tell them I agree to the terms?” Cody asked.

“We can meet with them this afternoon and hash out the specifics,” Obi-Wan told him. 

“Let’s do it.” 

CWCWCWCWCW

By the time they met with the Council that afternoon, the Senate had passed a Clone’s Rights bill that granted them freedom and full sentient rights. It took _immediate_ effect.

Cody pulled Obi-Wan close and kissed him passionately.

“You’re free,” Obi-Wan whispered softly as they parted.

“I’m free and we’re together. I couldn’t ask for more,” Cody responded.

They rested their foreheads together and just breathed for a long moment.

“It’s hard to believe this is real,” the clone said quietly.

“It’s real, my love. I promise you, it’s real,” his Jedi reassured.

They had agreed terms with the Council. The Senate had granted the clones the rights they deserved. They had a _future._

“Obi-Wan, I’d very much like to make love to you now,” Cody said with a soft smile.

The Jedi’s face _lit up._

“My darling Cody, that’s the best idea I’ve heard in a long while,” Obi-Wan replied.

CWCWCWCWCW

(What happens next? It goes like this:

Cody and Obi-Wan complete the probationary period with ease. They marry and live happily ever after. Obi-Wan stays a Jedi and is considered a shining example of the new option allowed. Cody becomes an instructor at the Temple, teaching hand to hand to Padawans and accompanying Obi-Wan on many of his missions. Obi-Wan eventually takes another Padawan.

Anakin? After many sessions with a mind healer and many honest discussions with his loved ones, he finds balance. He knows that he wants to be Jedi and with help from his loved ones, he finds a way. He struggles with the probationary period, but he and Padme are determined to succeed. Some time later, they are blessed with twins. He realizes he has everything he ever wanted. 

Ahsoka finishes her training and goes on to become an excellent Knight. 

Like Cody, Rex takes an instructor position at the Temple. Occasionally he accompanies Ahsoka on her missions, citing that _someone_ needs to have her back.

Aayla Secura and Bly admit that they are in love. They marry and he joins her on her missions. She too is hailed as an excellent example of what the next generation of Jedi can be. 

The other clones spread out across the galaxy, doing whatever makes them happy. Kix, Bones and many of the other medics pursue healer training. Others choose new fields. Wolfpack calls Plo every Benduday. They visit a lot. Plo is always delighted to hear stories of their adventures.)

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We know there were a lot of changes to the Order following the Ruusan Reformation. I've seen references to the idea that before that married Jedi were common. I liked the idea so I went with it.
> 
> Again, thank you all for joining me on this ride!

**Author's Note:**

> Mando'a:
> 
> Udesii- Relax/calm down


End file.
